Pope Francis Visits Ukrainian Refugee Children In Rome Hospital
A surprise visit by Pope Francis was made on Saturday to children treated at the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital in Rome, which is home to Ukrainian refugees.
During the first days of the war in Ukraine, a group of children suffering from cancer, neurological diseases, and other illnesses was taken to Italy for medical treatment.
According to Matteo Bruni, a spokesman for the Vatican, “some of the hospitalized children have suffered serious blast wounds from the war.”.
Must Read: UNICEF Estimates 1.5 Million Children Have Fled Ukraine Since Russia Invaded
On the afternoon of Sunday, the 19th, the solemnity of St. Joseph, on March 19, before returning to the Vatican, Pope Francis stopped by the hospital rooms to see all of the children staying there.
It is estimated that 50 Ukrainian children have been treated in Rome since the outbreak of the war, out of which 19 were in the hospital ward on the day Pope Francis visited.
Ahead of his general audience, Pope Francis prayed for “all the children who are living under the bombs, who are watching this terrible war, who have no food, who have to flee, leaving behind everything that is familiar to them.”
The Pope Francis then prayed the following prayer to God: “Lord Jesus, we ask you to look upon these children; these children are the victims of the pride of us, adults. Please bless these children and protect them. We pray together to protect them through Our Lady.”