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Priest says prayers can help end Ukraine conflict
MANILA – A world in prayer is a world at peace.
This was the clarion call of Rev. Fr. Carlos Reyes of the Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Mandaluyong City on Sunday as he asked the faithful across the globe to pray, especially the Holy Rosary, for an end to the raging Ukraine war perpetrated by Russia.
Reyes said the power of prayer can end the war before it escalates into a bigger conflict that would spread to other countries.
He recalled that in 1914, World War I broke out, killing and wounding thousands of innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.
On May 13, 1917, the Blessed Mother appeared before three children — Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco — in Fatima, Portugal and told them to pray the Rosary so that the war would end.
Reyes stressed that the message at Fatima remains the same to date and beyond.
“Pray, pray, pray the Holy Rosary every day for an end to the Ukraine war and for the whole world to receive God’s blessing to attain a genuine and lasting peace,” he said.
According to the Anadolu news agency on Sunday, several European countries decided to send weapons and ammunition to Ukraine.
The Czech Republic would send machine guns, sniper rifles and ammunition; the Netherlands will send 50 German-made anti-tank weapons; and Belgium will send military equipment, 2,000 automatic rifles, and 3,800 tons of fuel.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said more than 150,000 Ukrainian refugees have crossed into neighboring countries including Poland, Hungary, Moldova, and Romania.