Pope Francis

I pray that what has been agreed will finally be put into practice, also through effective disarmament and mine clearance. This is the only way to rebuild confidence and lay the foundations for the reconciliation that is so necessary and so much awaited by the people.

While I assure my prayers to the families of those who have lost their lives during the clashes, I hope that, with the dedication of the international community, and through dialogue and goodwill, there may be a lasting peaceful solution for the good of those beloved peoples.

On the anniversary of my visit to Lampedusa, let us pray that we might discover the face of Jesus in all people forced to flee their homeland because of the many injustices that continue to afflict our world.

Let us pray for the Conference of the European Union and the United Nations, so that it may improve the dramatic situation of the Syrian people and neighbouring peoples, particularly Lebanon, in the context of serious socio-political and economic crises that have been made even more difficult by the pandemic.

I invite everyone to pray for the people of Yemen, especially children, who are suffering as a result of the very serious humanitarian crisis, and for those affected by the severe floods in Western Ukraine.

I invite you to join me in praying for a renewed and effective commitment, on the part of us all, to the effective protection of every human being, especially those who have been forced to flee as a result of situations of grave danger to them or their families.

I invite you to pray for priests, so that through your prayer the Lord might strengthen their vocation, comfort them in their ministry, and help them always be joyful ministers of the Gospel for all people.

I urge international bodies and those who have political and military responsibilities to search for a path to peace in Libya. I pray for the thousands of migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons and call on the international community to take their plight to heart.

The month of June is dedicated in a special way to the Heart of Christ, a devotion that unites the great spiritual teachers and the simple among the people of God. A beautiful prayer, short, to pray during this month: “Jesus, may my heart resemble yours”.

We cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form. At the same time, we have to recognize that violence is self-destructive and self-defeating. Nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost. Let us pray for reconciliation and peace.