On the morning of February 23, Pope Francis received a delegation of young Orthodox priests and monks in the Vatican, some of whom came from Syria, which was hit by the double disaster of war and earthquake. On this occasion, the Pope reiterated his appeal to the international community to help the Syrian people who are living in hardship.
(Vatican News Network)Pope Francis received a delegation of young Orthodox priests and monks in the Vatican on the morning of February 23. During the interview, the Pope had difficulty speaking due to a severe cold, so he handed over the speech to the members of the visiting delegation.
The Pope’s first topic was the ecumenical movement of all Christians. He said that if all Christians go forward together, they will be accompanied by Christ, who will support, motivate and enable them to complete this ecumenical journey. As Christians, the Pope stressed, “we must believe that the more we move forward in unity, the more mysteriously we will be accompanied by Christ, because ecumenism is a common pilgrimage to the Father”.
The pope then turned to the victims of the earthquake in Syria and Turkey. The pope mentioned that some of the members of the delegation came from troubled Syria, “I would like to express my special concern for these lovely people who have suffered not only from wars but also from earthquakes, just like Turkey, The earthquake killed many people and caused horrific devastation. Faced with the suffering of too many innocent children, women, mothers and families, I want to do everything possible for the people, and that no reason or sanction stand in the way of the urgent and necessary aid.”
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