After praying the Regina Caeli, Pope Francis expressed his concern about the increasing tensions between Israel and Palestine.
POPE FRANCIS
I hope that the recently reached cease-fire will be permanent. Let the weapons remain silent, because with weapons, security and stability will never be achieved, but the opposite. All hope for peace will continue to be destroyed.
Tensions between Israel and Palestine is not the only international conflict Pope Francis is concerned about. One day before the Regina Caeli, Ukrainian President Zelensky met with Pope Francis. Zelensky is touring Europe to ask for more military support.
The meeting between the two was emotional yet straightforward: according to official statements, Zelensky did not ask the Pope to mediate in the conflict with Russia. But he did ask the Pope to support Ukraine's peace proposal that was already rejected by Moscow.
Similar to every Angelus or Regina Caeli prayer since the Russian invasion, Pope Francis sent words of encouragement to Ukraine. He asked those present to pray for the intercession of the Virgin Mary to end the suffering.
POPE FRANCIS
We turn to her to ask her to alleviate the sufferings of the battered Ukraine and all nations wounded by war and violence.
Pope Francis also welcomed Catholic relief agency Caritas Internationalis as it recently elected its new president. He then congratulated all mothers, because in Italy and in many other countries, Mother's Day was celebrated.
JRB
TR: AT
