Let us pray for peace: every day, everyone takes a moment to pray for peace. We want peace, this was the invitation Pope Francis addressed at the end of the general audience on Wednesday, 15 November, to the faithful and pilgrims who gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican and to all those who followed his catechesis through the media.

The Pontiff invited us to pray for peace, “, especially for the tormented Ukraine, which is suffering so much, and then in the Holy Land, for Palestine and Israel”; furthermore, the Pope said not to forget Sudan, “which is suffering so much”, and to think of all those regions where there is war, which, by the way, “there are many wars”.

The courage to donate blood helps to save many lives
In his greetings to the Italian faithful and pilgrims, Pope Francis gave a special greeting to the Association of Blood Donor Volunteers, underlining “the ethical value of donating blood: a gesture that helps to save many human lives. He then greeted with affection the Agesci scouts of Foligno, together with the altar boys and the vocational pastoral group, accompanied by the families, he exhorted the children, above all, “to be courageous protagonists in the environments in which they live”. “Above all, be joyful witnesses of the Gospel – was his invitation – builders of bridges, never of walls, never!

Understanding the meaning of trials
In his greetings to the many young people present in St. Peter’s Square, in particular, “the large group” of the “Miraglia” Institute of Lauria, the Pontiff underlined that
the last weeks of the liturgical year invite us to a sense of Christian hope. In this perspective, he invited us to always grasp the meaning and value of daily experiences and even of trials, thinking that everything contributes to the good of those who love God.

To the Spanish-speaking pilgrims: go out to evangelise the world
In his greetings to the Spanish-speaking pilgrims, Pope Francis invited them to ask the Lord to “renew our encounter with him every day, to make our hearts burn with his Word, and also that in the Eucharist the impulse be born in us that encouraged the disciples to go out to evangelise the world”. Finally, the Holy Father asked that “Jesus bless you and the Holy Virgin watch over you”.