During his weekly General Audience, Pope Francis asked those present to remember and pray for all countries at war. He specifically expressed his prayers for a recent attack on the capital city of Kurdistan, which killed 4 people.
POPE FRANCIS
I express my sympathy and solidarity with the victims, all civilians, of the missile attack that hit an urban area of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan-Iraqi Autonomous Region. Good relations between neighbors are not built by such actions but by dialogue and cooperation.
In his catechesis, the Pope spoke about the need to avoid lust and using others. Rather he encouraged an emphasis on a love that respects and cares for the other. He also announced the beginning of a week dedicated to Christian ecumenism.
POPE FRANCIS
Tomorrow begins the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which this year has the theme, “Love the Lord your God...and love your neighbor as yourself.” I invite you to pray, that Christians will reach full communion and bear unanimous witness of love toward all, especially the most fragile.
At the end of the Audience, Pope Francis challenged everyone to avoid taking steps that can lead to an increase in violence and tension, particularly in the Middle East.
KG
