The Pope delivered his traditional prayer from the window of his office overlooking St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on the occasion of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which Catholics celebrate every year on August 15.
In his speech following the prayer, Pope Francis said he was thinking of Ukraine, the Middle East, Palestine, Israel, Sudan, and Myanmar.
Addressing the developments in the Middle East, the Pope stated, "I continue to follow the humanitarian situation in Gaza with concern. Once again, I demand an immediate ceasefire on all fronts, the release of hostages, and aid for the exhausted population. I encourage everyone to make every effort to prevent the conflict from spreading and to follow the path of negotiation so that this tragedy may end as soon as possible. Let us not forget that war is a defeat."
In the final part of his speech, the Pope mentioned that he was praying for those affected by the wildfires in Greece.
News Source: AA
