At the end of the General Audience, the Pope recalled the Supplication to Our Lady of Pompeii, which the Church raises today (08/05). The Pontiff also reinforced his appeal for peace for countries suffering from war: “I invite everyone to invoke the intercession of Mary, so that the Lord may grant peace to the entire world, especially to the beloved and martyred Ukraine, Palestine, Israel and Myanmar.”
Thulio Fonseca – Vatican News
Listen with the Pope’s voice and share
Pope Francis, in his greetings to pilgrims, at the end of the General Audience this Wednesday (05/08), urged everyone to value the prayer of the Holy Rosary this month of May, and reminded the faithful, in different languages, of the importance to invoke the intercession of Our Lady:
“I encourage you to always seek the gaze of Our Lady who comforts all those who are going through trials and keeps the horizon of hope open.”
Peace for the whole world
Recalling that the Church today, May 8, raises the so-called “Supplication” to Our Lady of Pompeii to the Virgin of the Rosary, Francis invited “everyone to invoke the intercession of Mary, so that the Lord may grant peace to the entire world”, and especially turned his thoughts “to the beloved and martyred Ukraine, to Palestine, Israel and Myanmar”. In his appeal, the Holy Father reinforced the call for peace for territories torn apart by death, violence and persecution.
In Ukraine, Russian attacks continue unabated, the latest hitting energy production and distribution plants in six regions. In the Middle East, deaths continue to rise in Gaza and Rafah. In Myanmar, the country is facing a prolonged political crisis, with clashes and violence between military government troops and armed ethnic groups, with millions of displaced people and enormous damage caused by natural disasters, in addition to the dramatic situation of the Rohingya.
A prayer for Argentina
An image of Our Lady of Luján, patron saint of Argentina, was present in Saint Peter’s Square. The Pope prayed in front of the image that remembers his homeland, and highlighted:
“Today, in my homeland, Argentina, we celebrate the solemnity of Our Lady of Luján, whose image is here. Let us pray for Argentina so that the Lord will help her on her path.”
Pope greets the Polish faithful present in St. Peter’s Square
Peace for Europe
To the Polish faithful, the Holy Father remembered Saint Stanislaus, bishop, martyr and patron of Poland, whose solemnity is also celebrated today. In his greeting, Francis recalled that “Saint John Paul II wrote about him who, from the heights of heaven, participated in the sufferings and hopes of your Nation, sustaining its survival, especially during the Second World War.”
“May the intercession of Saint Stanislaus also obtain today the gift of peace in Europe and throughout the world, especially in Ukraine and the Middle East.”
