Pope thanks Poles for taking in Ukrainians
Wesprzyj naszą pracę na Go Fund Me. Dziękujemy!Pope Francis has extended Christmas wishes to Poles, thanking them for welcoming refugees from Ukraine.
Ukrainian refugees crossing into Poland.Photo: Mvs.gov.ua, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
During a general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday, Francis said: “I would like to wish all Poles a blessed Christmas. According to your tradition, during Christmas Eve, you leave an empty seat at the table for an unexpected guest.”
“This year, this seat will be occupied by the multitude of refugees from Ukraine, for whom you have opened the doors of your homes with great generosity. May the Son of God fill each of you, your families and those you help with love. May he bring peace to all people of good will. I bless you from the heart,” the pope added.
The pope has been making appeals for Ukraine at nearly every public appearance since the war started, Reuters reported.
“Let us think of the many children in Ukraine who … carry within themselves the tragedy of that war, so inhumane, so harsh”, Pope Francis said in unprepared remarks after the general audience. “Let us think of the Ukrainian people this Christmas – without electricity, without heating, without the essential things they need to survive”, he added.
In an address last week, the pope urged people to spend less on Christmas celebrations and gifts this year and send the difference to Ukrainians to help them get through the hunger and cold of winter., Reuters reported.
Russian forces have been battering Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since October, making the country face a 30% energy shortage as winter set in.
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Source: PAP, Reuters
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