VALLETTA, MALTA -- Pope Francis prayed Sunday for an end to the "sacrilegious" war in Ukraine and for the world to show compassion to refugees as he concluded a two-day visit to Malta that was dominat
VALLETTA, MALTA -- Pope Francis prayed Sunday for an end to the "sacrilegious" war in Ukraine and for the world to show compassion to refugees as he concluded a two-day visit to Malta that was dominated by his concern for the devastation unleashed by Russia's invasion.
Francis has used his two-day visit to Malta to drive home his call for Europe to show compassion to would-be refugees who cross the Mediterranean Sea from Libya. He has expanded that message to express his gratitude for the welcome Europe has shown Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian war and his hope that same generosity could be extended to others.
Francis referred to that warm welcome Malta showed Christ's shipwrecked disciple, meeting with recent migrants from Africa who paid smugglers to try to reach Europe to escape war and conflict. He told them that they "could be any one of us." Just this week, a German aid group urged Malta to take in 106 migrants rescued off Libya. Malta demurred and on Saturday, the mayor of Palermo, Sicily, said the city was ready to welcome them.
Francis' Mass, his biggest event in Malta, drew an estimated 20,000 people. They clapped when Francis urged the faithful in a final prayer to "think of the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in the martyred Ukraine, which continues to be bombarded in this sacrilegious war."
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