“In this time still marked by war, I ask you to be artisans of peace; In a society still imprisoned by the throwaway culture, I ask you to be protagonists of inclusion; In a world torn apart by global crises, I ask you to be builders of the future, so that our common home becomes a place of fraternity,” said the Holy Father.
Finally, Pope Francis invited those present to think “of the children who are at war, think of the Ukrainian children who have forgotten to smile.”
“Pray for these children, put the children who are at war in your hearts. Think of the children of Gaza, machine-gunned, who are hungry. Think about the children. Now a little silence, and each of us think of the Ukrainian children and the children of Gaza,” said the Pontiff.
“May you always worry about the fate of our planet and your fellow human beings; May you worry about the future that opens before us, so that it is truly as God dreams for everyone: a future of peace and beauty for all humanity,” he concluded.