Pope recalls many Middle East Christians who suffer with Christ during Holy Week
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
"Precisely as the Church contemplates the mystery of the Lord’s Passion, we cannot forget those who today truly share in His suffering."
Pope Leo XIV made this observation at the conclusion of his Palm Sunday Mass in the Vatican.
He drew the Church's attention to the plight of Christians in the Middle East, saying their "trial calls upon the conscience of all."
"At the beginning of Holy Week, we are closer than ever in prayer to the Christians of the Middle East, who suffer the consequences of a terrible conflict and in many cases cannot fully live the rites of these holy days," he said.
The Pope invited the faithful to join him in raising their supplication to the Prince of Peace, "that He may sustain peoples wounded by war and open concrete paths of reconciliation and peace."
Before reciting the midday Angelus prayer, the Pope entrusted to the Lord seafarers who are victims of war, saying he prays for the deceased, the wounded, and their families.
"Earth, sky, and sea," he underscored, "are created for life and for peace."
Finally, Pope Leo urged the Church to pray for all migrants who have died at sea, in particular for those who lost their lives in recent days off the coast of the island of Crete.
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