At the end of the Angelus prayer, the Pope asked the Virgin Mary, who is celebrated as the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel on July 16, to intercede for territories wounded by war conflicts. The Pope asks the faithful for prayers: “Let us not forget Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Myanmar. A call to pray also for sailors and those who care for them, on the “Sunday of the Sea”, which falls on today.
Salvatore Cernuzio – Vatican News
“Please…”, the Pope urges following the Angelus prayer this Sunday, July 14, from the window of the Apostolic Palace: “Please, let’s not forget the beleaguered Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Myanmar”. A plea to the faithful who are crowded in the sun-drenched St. Peter’s Square, even before a plea to God and the Virgin Mary, to whom he entrusts these territories plagued by violence.
At the end of the Angel of the Lord prayer, Francis recalls the liturgical holiday of July 16, established in memory of the apparition of the Virgin Mary on Mount Carmel in 1251. He asks her for intercession:
May he beseech comfort and peace for all nations that are afflicted by the horrors of war.
Countries wounded by war conflicts
As in every Angelus prayer or general audience, the Pope lists one by one the conflict-ridden countries: Ukraine, where Russian airstrikes, concentrated mainly in the regions of Kharkiv and Kherson, have killed civilians and caused numerous injuries, including children, in recent days; The Holy Land, shaken by the recent bloodshed in Khan Yunis, the umpteenth in a row, with 90 victims, many of whom were women and minors; Myanmar ravaged, more than three years following the coup, by a bloody war, often overlooked by the world public.
Prayers for sailors
The Pope draws the world’s attention to these countries and asks for prayers. He asks the same for all sailors on the occasion of today’s Marine Sunday.
Let us pray for those who work in the maritime sector and those who care for them.
The Pope’s contribution to Maritime Sunday
Already in a post on his account X @Pontifex in nine languages, Francis paid tribute to this category of workers and called for a common prayer “asking that Mary, Star of the Sea, accompany all those whose work is connected to the sea and their families and lead them to their way to Christ”.
In a message for today’s anniversary, issued on June 24 and signed by Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development, the Holy See called on the churches to make visible those working in the maritime sector and promote their dignity and rights. And he encouraged exchange and solidarity between peoples and religions: “We cannot be open to the possibilities of life,” declared Cardinal Czerny, “if we prefer the comfort of familiar things”.
