Pope Francis offered prayers for the victims of the “vile terrorist attack” in Moscow at the end of his Palm Sunday Mass at the Vatican.
At least 130 people died after gunmen opened fire at a musical performance in a Moscow concert hall on Friday night. The Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate claimed responsibility for the attack in Russia – a claim that US intelligence officials have confirmed.
Speaking in St Peter’s Square on 24 March, Pope Francis prayed for the families of the victims as well as for the conversion of the perpetrators of the attack.
“May the Lord receive them in his peace and comfort their families. May he convert the hearts of those who plan, organise, and carry out these inhuman actions, which offend God, who commanded, ‘You shall not kill,’” the Pope said.
After offering prayers for the victims in Moscow, Pope Francis made a long appeal for peace in Ukraine, asking people to pray in particular for those in Ukraine who do not have electricity.
“Let us pray for all our brothers and sisters who are suffering because of war,” he said.
“In a special way, I am thinking of martyred Ukraine, where so many people find themselves without electricity because of the intense attacks against infrastructure that, in addition to causing death and suffering, carry the risk of an even larger humanitarian catastrophe.”
The Pope added: “Please, do not forget the tormented Ukraine. And let us think about Gaza, which suffers so much, and so many other places of war.”
Pope Francis made his peace appeal at the end of the Palm Sunday Mass, where he chose at the last minute not to give a homily, without providing an explanation. He had arrived at the Mass in a wheelchair.
Before praying the Angelus with the crowd at the end of Mass, Francis gave a brief reflection on the Gospel account of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on a donkey.
“Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus entered Jerusalem as a humble and peaceful king. Let us open our hearts to him. Only he can deliver us from enmity, hatred, violence, for he is the mercy and forgiveness of sins,” Pope Francis said.
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