Pope on Ukraine: 'Find humanity for just and lasting peace'.

At the end of the Marian prayer the Pope recalled the anniversary of the war in Ukraine: "So many victims, wounded, destruction". He called for a 'diplomatic solution' that would lead to peace. He also looked with sorrow at the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria. Sympathy to the people of Mongolia for the record cold wave.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "I plead for the rediscovery of that little bit of humanity that will make it possible to create the conditions for a diplomatic solution in the search for a just and lasting peace". It is to the second anniversary of the beginning of the war in Ukraine, which was recalled yesterday (on 24 February 2022 the Russian Federation launched the invasion), that Pope Francis dedicated his first thought in the concluding address of today's Angelus, the second Sunday of Lent. "So many victims, injured, destruction, anguish, tears," he said, "in a period that is becoming terribly long and whose end is not yet in sight". Recalling that the devastating effects do not only affect "that region of Europe", but extend on a global scale, with an unleashed wave of "fear and hatred". 

To the "martyred Ukrainian people" the Pontiff renewed his "liveliest affection", adding that the object of his prayers is "everyone", but in particular the "countless innocent victims". Not only of this conflict, but of the "many peoples torn apart by war", Bergoglio said. Pope Francis also asked not to forget to pray "for Palestine, for Israel", and to "concretely help those who suffer", thinking of the rampant suffering in the world and "the wounded, innocent children".

This was followed by a pained look at the numerous conflicts afflicting the African continent, in particular the one pitting the rebels of the M23 group against government soldiers in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. "I follow with concern the increase in violence," said the Holy Father, joining the Bishops' call "to pray for peace" and "hoping for an end to the clashes and the search for a sincere and constructive dialogue". Then, Bergoglio spoke of the apprehension caused by the "increasingly frequent kidnappings in Nigeria", of which both clergy and ordinary citizens are victims. "I express to the Nigerian people my closeness and my prayer, hoping that efforts will be made to stem the spread of these episodes as much as possible," Pope Francis said before a packed square.

In the speech that followed the recitation of the Marian prayer, the Pontiff's final thought of closeness was expressed to the population of Mongolia "hit by a wave of intense cold, which is causing serious humanitarian consequences". In fact, the country is experiencing its coldest winter since 1975. On the causes of this phenomenon, Francis did not mince words: 'Even this extreme phenomenon is a sign of climate change'. He then reflected on the presence of the climate crisis in the world. "It is a social, global problem that deeply affects the lives of many brothers and sisters, especially the most vulnerable," he said. Inviting people to pray - both those present in St. Peter's on today's sunny day and those in connection - "to be able to make wise and courageous choices to contribute to the care of Creation".

The Gospel passage from Mark (Mk 9:2-10) of this Sunday, the second of Lent, narrates the episode of the Transfiguration of Jesus, in the presence of Peter, James and John. After announcing the Passion, Jesus takes them with him. "He ascends a high mountain and there he physically manifests himself in all his light," Pope Francis said in the commentary that preceded the recitation of the Angelus. In doing so, he reveals to them the "meaning" of what they had shared together up to that moment, that is, of all those "signs accomplished" - preaching, forgiveness, healings - that were "sparks of a greater light: the light of Jesus," Bergoglio explained. 

A light from which "the disciples must never again take their eyes off, especially in moments of trial, such as those now approaching of the Passion," he added. The message that emerges, supported by the metaphor used by the Pope of the peasants who, in the past, "keeping their eyes fixed on the goal, traced straight furrows", is precisely that, as Christians, "to always keep before our eyes the luminous face of Jesus", said the Holy Father. "He is love, he is life without end. Along the sometimes tortuous paths of existence, let us seek his face," is what the Pontiff proposed from the window of the Apostolic Palace. To do this, prayer, listening to the Word and the Sacraments come to our aid. 

This led to an invitation for the current time of Lent: 'Cultivate open gazes, become seekers of light, seekers of the light of Jesus in prayer and in people'.