Pope Francis prays for end to ‘sacrilegious’ war
VALLETTA, Malta — Pope Francis prayed Sunday for an end to the “sacrilegious” war in Ukraine and for the world to show compassion to refugees as he concluded a two-day visit to Malta that was dominated by his concern for the devastation unleashed by Russia’s invasion.
“May we be tireless in praying and in offering assistance to those who suffer,” Francis said at the end of a
Mass in Valletta, the capital of Malta, that drew 20,000 people, some of them waiving Ukrainian flags.
More Ukrainian flags greeted him outside a migrant shelter, where Ukrainian protesters shouted “Save our children!” and “Close the sky over Ukraine!”
Francis has used his two-day visit to Malta to drive home his call for Europe to show compassion to would-be refugees who cross the Mediterranean
Sea from Libya. He has expanded that message to express his gratitude for the welcome Europe has shown Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war and his hope that same generosity could be extended to others.
Though short, the trip has been particularly taxing for the 85-year-old pontiff, who is suffering from a chronic strained ligament in his right knee. He struggled repeatedly Sunday to get out of his chair and his limping gait from sciatica was so pronounced that he frequently had to grab the arm of an aide.
Francis opened his second and final day in Malta by visiting the Grotto of St. Paul in Rabat, where the Apostle Paul stayed after being shipwrecked off Malta en route to Rome in AD 60. According to the biblical account of the period, the Maltese people showed Paul unusual kindness, and he responded by preaching and healing, bringing Christianity to the islands.