The rosaries of peace are on their way to Ukraine: there is also this "caress from the Pope" in the humanitarian mission which from today sees the Conventual Franciscans, the Community of Sant'Egidio, the Auxilium cooperative and the FIGC in Ukraine.
A journey to talk about peace but also to bring three trucks of humanitarian aid, from medicines to baby food, from the electric generator to 22,000 items of clothing with the national team logo.
There are certainly basic necessities but also balls because "the first thought is for the children", underline the organizers.
The mission, which will be in Lviv from today to reach the capital Kiev in the next few days, stopped in Brussels.
"We are here symbolically to bring to the European institutions the cry of the European people which is a request, a desire for peace. These people want peace: the European institutions should interpret it at all levels. Let the bells of peace ring out and let
us silence the roar of arms", Franciscan Father Enzo Fortunato told the European authorities.
"I bring the caress of St. Francis and the blessing of the Pope" who "prays every day that peace may be born in the heart of Ukraine".
"Italy takes the field for peace", underlined Angelo Chiorazzo, the president of the Auxilium cooperative who coordinated the collection of aid, highlighting that the first thought is aimed at children who "have to go back to life and also to play ".
The European Parliament Vice-President Pina Picierno welcomed the delegation in Brussels.
"Moments like these - he said referring to the mission - are also important to demonstrate, not only in words but physically, the proximity, the closeness, to a people who have been undergoing for a year now something unspeakable that we could not even imagine in this A Europe which, let us always remember, was born to guarantee peace".
As for the question of sending arms, which divides Italian politics, the exponent of the Democratic Party underlines: "It is necessary, this is a war and in war how do a woman, a child, a person in difficulty defend themselves? How do they defend innocent people who have been attacked, who have done nothing to deserve such a thing.
The vice president of the Community of Sant'Egidio Adriano Roccucci, speaking with the EU institutions, highlighted "the great problem of internally displaced persons, there are five and a half million, we have been working on this situation for over a year now", he underlined recalling that Sant'Egidio has brought aid, since the beginning of the conflict, for 15 million euros.
Vsevolod Chentsov, Ukrainian Head of Mission to the European Union, thanked the delegation for their proximity and help.
Then he highlighted the need for children also for "psychological support" to be able to overcome this difficult moment.
"Otherwise we risk losing an entire generation."
(HANDLE).
