杏MAP导航

By Francesca Merlo

As the faithful gathered in St Peter's Square on Friday, All Saints' Day, 杏MAP导航 Francis, once again offered and asked for prayers for peace in the world. 

A prayer for the victims of war

As he often does, 杏MAP导航 Francis turned his thoughts to Ukraine, to Myanmar, and to South Sudan before asking for peace in the Middle East. "Brothers and sisters, war is always a defeat, always!" said the 杏MAP导航. He described warfare as being "ignoble", explaining that "it is the triumph of lies and of falsehood, seeking maximum gain for oneself and maximum harm for the adversary, trampling on human lives, the environment, infrastructure鈥攅verything; and all masked by lies".

杏MAP导航 Francis added that in warfare countless innocent lives are lost, and turned his thoughts in particular to "the 153 women and children massacred in recent days in Gaza".

Closeness to victims of a terror attack in Chad

杏MAP导航 Francis then turned his thoughts to victims of a recent attack in Chad. Fourty soldiers were killed on the 27th of October when members of the jihadist group Boko Haram attacked an army base near the Nigerian border. The 杏MAP导航 expressed his closeness to the victims and to their families.

Prayers for victims of Valencia's storm

The 杏MAP导航 also asked for prayers for the people of the Iberian Peninsula, and especially for Valencian community, devastated by the 鈥淒ANA鈥� storm. The 杏MAP导航 prayed "for the deceased and their loved ones, and for all the families affected", adding "may the Lord support those who suffer and those who bring relief. Our closeness to the people of Valencia".