Rome.– Pope Leo XIV urged this Sunday to follow “the path of dialogue, encounter, and diplomacy” in Ukraine and the Middle East, where he stated that “the winds of war are blowing again,” which “sow violence, terror, and death and once again affect so many innocent people.”
“Let us not allow these winds to extinguish the flame of hope and peace, even though it is always fragile and vulnerable,” he expressed during the Sunday Angelus prayer in Castel Gandolfo, where he is spending a few days on vacation.
At the gates of the Apostolic Palace, in front of the Liberty Square of that town located about 30 kilometers from Rome, the pontiff reiterated his desire that the path of “dialogue, encounter, and diplomacy be traveled with hope.”
According to him, that is “the only path capable of leading to a just and lasting peace, in which peoples can live reconciled, in mutual security and in respect for the dignity of each person”.
The Pope also mentioned that this Sunday is celebrated as Sea Sunday and directed a message of closeness to all “seafarers, fishermen, and port workers of the world,” who, as he highlighted, live marked by the distance from their loved ones and, at times, by the fear of the conflicts that affect maritime routes.
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Leo XIII highlighted that these workers sustain, with patient and silent effort, the commerce and life of many peoples.
The pontiff traveled last Sunday to the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo to begin a rest period that will last until July 27.
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During these weeks, all general, private, and special audiences will be suspended; however, he will carry out some activities, such as this Saturday, when he shared a lunch with vulnerable people.
In addition, he plans to visit the Vatican Apostolic Library and inaugurate the first chapter of the exhibition cycle “Catastrophe and Wonder,” in which the works of three contemporary creators—artist JR, typographer Bill Morany, and chef Fulvio Pierangelini—will engage in a dialogue with the heritage and spaces of these rooms, in a reflection dedicated to water as both a threat and a resource, the organizers explained.
General audiences are scheduled to resume as usual on August 5th.
