Nine months after Russia invaded Ukraine, Pope Francis wrote to the “noble and mortal” Ukrainian people, pledging his care and expressing his heartache for all the children who were killed: “In each of them was the expression of the Defeat of all mankind .”
(Vatican News Network)With a fatherly heart, Pope Francis weeps with his children; with the intensity of a minister, he expresses his concern for people suffering from “destruction, pain, hunger, thirst and cold”. Nine months into the “irrational madness of war”, Pope Francis writes to the people of Ukraine, expressing his concern directly for all Ukrainians: everyone, meaning women, victims of violence, victims of war AND widows, young people who went to the front line, elderly people left alone, refugees, displaced people, volunteers, priests and government officials.
In this time of “difficult tribulation”, the Bishop of Rome urges the people of Ukraine not to despair, but also to express “appreciation” to them, because, as Ukrainians have shown in history, they are strong, they suffer and pray, cry and struggle, resist and hope. The Ukrainian people are “noble and deadly”.
The Pope’s letter indicates the tragic situation. He cut to the chase, noting the horrors that the Eastern European country has suffered from the first day of its invasion, February 24, 2022. “The menacing roar of bombs, the disturbing sound of sirens, shakes through your air. bombs hit your cities, missiles rain death, destruction, pain, hunger, thirst and cold. Your streets are full of people who are forced to flee their homes and loved ones, beside your great rivers, rivers of blood and tears flow every day.”
The Pope’s tears flowed with theirs: “Not a day goes by without me being with you, thinking of you in my heart and my prayers. My pain is your pain.” On a cross Jesus, today I see you, You who have suffered from the terror caused by this invasion, Yes, the Crucifixion that once afflicted the Lord is reproduced today in the torture of human remains in mass graves found in many cities, in those and many other bloody images. It all goes deep, and it makes people cry, “Why? Why are other people doing this to these people?”
Today’s tragedies reminded the Pope of many tragedies in the world during these years. The pope mentioned children first, talking about a newborn baby and a four-year-old who lost their lives in the missile attack. “In each of them,” wrote the Pope, “the defeat of all humanity is manifested. Today they, in the arms of God, look at your worries and pray that they will end.”
“For them, for all the children and adults who were deported, how can one not feel sad? The pain of Ukrainian mothers cannot be calculated”. The Pope went on to think about young people who, “in order to bravely defend their homeland”, have to abandon their dreams and take up arms. The wives of soldiers who died gritted their teeth and “silently sacrificed for their children with dignity and determination”. Adults “find ways to protect those they love”, the elderly cannot enjoy their old age and are caught in the “dark nights of war”, and women “are subjected to violence and carry a heavy burden in their hearts”.
“I think of you and I am with you with love and appreciation,” wrote the Pope In his letter, the Pope did not forget those volunteers who give their hearts and souls to the people every day , as well as all the ministers. Bishops, priests, religious “stay close to the people who are in great danger, using creativity to turn community sites and houses into accommodation, to entertain those in need, to give them help and food”.
The Pope was also thinking about refugees and internally displaced people, many of whom have had their homes destroyed and uprooted from their homes. In addition, the Pope issued an appeal to the authorities, praying for them. “In a tragic time, they are responsible for governance and have an obligation to make short-sighted decisions to promote peace and grow the economy in the face of the destruction of much vital infrastructure.”
At the end of the letter, the Pope looked forward to the coming months, as the severe cold must make the situation of the Ukrainian people even worse. “I hope that the love of the Church, the power of prayer, and the love of so many brothers and sisters in every corner of the world, will take care of your faces,” said the Pope. “Christmas is a few weeks away” and the pains of suffering will be felt more clearly. “However, I would like to go back with you to Bethlehem, to the trials you had to face that night in the Holy Family. It was a night that seemed to have nothing but cold and darkness. Yet light came: it did not come from the matter of man, but from God; it is not of the world, but it originates from on high.”
The Pope concluded by urging the protection of the Virgin Mary to the people of Ukraine. “I offer your sufferings and your tears to her maternal heart.”
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