Pope Francis joined Sunday, March 29, in the appeal launched by the UN for an immediate and global cease-fire in order to preserve, facing the coronavirus, the most vulnerable civilians in countries in conflict .
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"Dear brothers and sisters, the Secretary-General of the United Nations has launched these days an appeal for a global and immediate cease-fire all over the world because of the current crisis due to Covid-19, who knows no boundaries, ” said the pope after his Sunday prayer from the Angelus.
He thus joins Antonio Guterres, secretary general of the United Nations, who launched Monday 23 March, an appeal "for an immediate cease-fire, everywhere in the world" in order to preserve civilians in the face of the "fury" of the Covid-19.
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"I associate myself with all those who have accepted this appeal and I invite everyone to follow it by ceasing all forms of hostility, by promoting the creation of corridors for humanitarian aid, openness to diplomacy and Pay attention to those who are in a situation of great vulnerability, ” added François, who spoke by video from the library of the Apostolic Palace and not from the balcony overlooking Saint Peter's Square.
Strengthening brotherly ties to overcome the epidemic
The Argentine pope also expressed the hope on Sunday "that the common commitment against the pandemic can lead everyone to recognize our need to strengthen fraternal ties as members of a single family" . “Conflicts cannot be resolved through war. It is necessary to overcome differences and antagonisms through dialogue and a constructive search for peace, ” he added.
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The Argentine Pope said he was close to people forced to live in groups, such as in retirement homes or barracks, and in a more special way to detainees. He denounced "the risk of a tragedy" in the prisons due to the combination of the Covid-19 and prison overcrowding, asking the authorities to be "sensitive" to this problem, without mentioning a particular country.
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