After praying the Angelus, Pope Francis joined the bishops of Myanmar in calling for humanitarian relief to the country's population, and for houses of worship to be respected as places of refuge.
The people of Myanmar have been living under a dictatorship for over four months after a military coup toppled the nation's government.
POPE FRANCIS
'That the heart of Jesus touch the hearts of those delivering peace to Myanmar'.
In May, the Pope celebrated a Mass for peace in Myanmar to show his solidarity with the Burmese people, and urged them to remain united.
POPE FRANCIS
'I know that some political and social situations are bigger than we are. Yet the commitment to peace and fraternity always comes from below: each person, in small ways, can play their part'.
The Pope then recalled that it was “World Refugees Day,” an initiative promoted by the United Nations Refugee Agency. This year's theme is “Together we heal, learn, and shine.”
POPE FRANCIS
'Let us open our hearts to refugees; let us make their sorrows and their joys our own; let us learn courageous resilience from them'.
He related the plight of refugees to the Sunday liturgy, in which the disciples put their faith in Jesus to see them through a storm.
The Pope also greeted pilgrims who came to see him in Rome from as far away as Poland and Peru.
