Pope calls for peace in Northern Ireland to be consolidated
Pope Francis celebrated peace in Northern Ireland during his Easter service in Vatican City on Monday.
Before thousands of believers, the leader of the Catholic Church commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreements, which put an end to decades of sectarian violence.
"I pray to the God of Peace that what he achieved in that historic passage may be consolidated for the benefit of all the men and women of the island of Ireland," said Pope Francis. "Let's continue to invoke the gift of peace for the whole world, especially for the dear and battered Ukraine."
The call came as he celebrated the Regina Coeli (or Queen of the Heavens) prayer in St. Peter's Square.
Pope Francis on Sunday invoked prayers for both the Ukrainian and Russian people and praised nations which welcome refugees.
The 86-year-old pontiff, who was hospitalized recently with bronchitis, skipped the traditional Good Friday nighttime procession at the Colosseum because of chilly weather in Rome.
During the Regina Coeli, he recalled how the women in the Gospel hurry to share the news of the resurrection and teach the faithful that they encounter Jesus by bearing witness to him.
“When we encounter Jesus,” Francis said, “no obstacle can keep us from proclaiming him. If instead we keep his joy to ourselves, perhaps it is because we have not yet truly encountered him.”
"I pray to the God of Peace that what he achieved in that historic passage may be consolidated for the benefit of all the men and women of the island of Ireland," said Pope Francis. "Let's continue to invoke the gift of peace for the whole world, especially for the dear and battered Ukraine."
The call came as he celebrated the Regina Coeli (or Queen of the Heavens) prayer in St. Peter's Square.
Pope Francis on Sunday invoked prayers for both the Ukrainian and Russian people and praised nations which welcome refugees.
The 86-year-old pontiff, who was hospitalized recently with bronchitis, skipped the traditional Good Friday nighttime procession at the Colosseum because of chilly weather in Rome.
During the Regina Coeli, he recalled how the women in the Gospel hurry to share the news of the resurrection and teach the faithful that they encounter Jesus by bearing witness to him.
“When we encounter Jesus,” Francis said, “no obstacle can keep us from proclaiming him. If instead we keep his joy to ourselves, perhaps it is because we have not yet truly encountered him.”
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
