Pope Francis Sends Papal Almoner to Holy Land for Christmas as a Sign of Solidarity

“Pope Francis, grieving over the ‘third world war in pieces’ that afflicts the world, prays daily for peace, pleading aloud for an end to the conflicts that stain the earth with blood: in battered Ukraine, in Syria, in many countries in Africa and now in Israel and Palestine,” it said.

The pope has asked the cardinal to pray for peace together with the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and the entire local Catholic community as they “celebrate the birth of Jesus, the prince of peace and the only hope for the world.”

Last year, Krajewski spent Christmas in Ukraine with refugees and volunteers in the town of Fastów at the pope’s request.

Pope Francis has sent Krajewski to Ukraine six times since Russia invaded the country nearly two years ago. On one of Krajewski’s prior trips, the cardinal was shot at as he delivered humanitarian aid near the city of Zaporizhzhia. He has also prayed beside multiple mass graves in Ukraine, including on Good Friday in 2022.

Courtney Mares is a Rome Correspondent for Catholic News Agency. A graduate of Harvard University, she has reported from news bureaus on three continents and was awarded the Gardner Fellowship for her work with North Korean refugees.