Speaking to the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square to pray the Regina Caeli, on Sunday, May 8, Pope Francis took the opportunity to praise mothers and exhort the faithful to pray the Rosary.
Noting that many countries throughout the world celebrate Mother's Day today, the Roman Pontiff said, "Let us affectionately remember our mothers – a round of applause for our mothers – even those who are no longer with us down here, but who live in our hearts." The Pope concluded his well-wishing, saying, "Our prayer, our affection, and our best wishes for all our mothers."
Turning to the Mother of God in the Rosary
In this month of May, traditionally dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Pope Francis invited the faithful to pray the rosary every day for peace, entrusting in particular "the sufferings and tears of the Ukrainian people."
Referring to the Supplication to Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii, a very popular shrine in Italy whose first stone was laid by Blessed Bartolo Longo on May 8, 1976, the 85-year-old pontiff "knelt spiritually" before the Virgin. "I entrust to her the ardent desire for peace of the many people in various parts of the world who suffer the senseless calamity of war," he said.
In the face of "the madness of war," as Russian air attacks continue in eastern Ukraine, the head of the Catholic Church urged the leaders of nations not to lose "the 'pulse of the people' who want peace and who know well that weapons never achieve it, never."
The Russian-Ukrainian war is a constant concern of the Argentine pontiff, who multiplies his calls for an end to the fighting. In an interview with Corriere della Sera published on May 3, he expressed his desire to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
