Pope Francis has meeting with Ukranian youth

 

Pope Francis kisses the Ukrainian flag at a meeting with young Ukrainian pilgrims in Lisbon  (Vatican Media)

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Pope Francis meets with several young Ukrainian pilgrims

Pope Francis meets with 15 Ukrainian pilgrims ahead of his second day in Portugal, expressing his prayerful closeness, and prays at Mass for a World Youth Day catechist who died while in Lisbon.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Pope Francis met with a group of 15 Ukrainian pilgrims on Thursday morning ahead of his public engagements on the second day of his Apostolic Journey to Portugal.

The Pope has made countless appeals since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, calling frequently for peace and an end of the war.

In a brief statement, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, confirmed the meeting that took place before the Pope's encounter with university students.

"This morning, before leaving the Nunciature," the statement said, "Pope Francis met a group of 15 young pilgrims from Ukraine accompanied by Mr. Denys Kolada, Consultant for Dialogue with Religious Organisations at the Ukrainian government."

"After listening to their moving stories,"said Mr. Bruni, the Pope "addressed a few words to the young people, expressing his 'sorrowful and prayerful' closeness."

At the end of the half-hour meeting, Pope Francis and the young people recited the Our Father together, "with their thoughts turned toward martyred Ukraine."