Vatican / Germany - Pope Francis once again called for support for the people of war-stricken Ukraine through abundant prayer and humanitarian solidarity, following the Angelus today.

A word that Pope Francis often pronounces and shares with the world is 'perseverance.' The same could be said of the 'constancy' with which, for over six months, now Pope Francis has increasingly accompanied his reflections, especially at the General Audience and Angelus, with an appeal, a plea, or even just a few words of solidarity for the Ukrainian people, no matter what the topic for the occasion may be.

For the 13th consecutive time since June 5, again from the window of the Apostolic Palace following the recitation of the Angelus when greeting those gathered in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis recalled the "immense" suffering Ukraine is bearing:

“Let us persevere in our closeness and in prayer for the dear Ukrainian people who are experiencing immense cruelty.”

As Russian shelling and the Ukrainian armed response continue, the press area of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, as reported by Ukrinform, said that yesterday alone more than 1,000 people, including 324 children, were evacuated from the area of the nuclear power plant occupied by the Russian army. At the same time, the war bulletins continue to arrive from various areas that daily report many civilian deaths and injured, particularly in the Donetsk region.

Six months of war devastates global economy
Six months after Russia invaded Ukraine, the consequences are posing a devastating threat to the global economy.

Gas is not only much more costly, it might not be available at all if Russia completely cuts off supplies to Europe to avenge Western sanctions, or if utilities can’t store enough for winter.

Germany says it might have to impose gas rationing that could cripple industries from steelmaking to pharmaceuticals to commercial laundries.

Governments, businesses and families worldwide are feeling the war’s economic effects just two years after the coronavirus pandemic ravaged global trade. Inflation is soaring, and rocketing energy costs have raised the prospect of a cold, dark winter. Europe stands at the brink of recession.

High food prices and shortages, worsened by the cutoff of fertilizer and grain shipments from Ukraine and Russia that are slowly resuming, could produce widespread hunger and unrest in the developing world.

Russia’s war led the International Monetary Fund last month to downgrade its outlook for the global economy for the fourth time in under a year. The lending agency expects 3.2% growth this year, down from the 4.9% it forecast in July 2021 and well below a vigorous 6.1% last year.

The U.N. Development Program said rising food and energy prices threw 71 million people worldwide into poverty in the first three months of the war. Countries in the Balkans and sub-Saharan Africa were hit hardest. Up to 181 million people in 41 countries could suffer a hunger crisis this year, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization has projected.

In Bangkok, rising costs for pork, vegetables and oil have forced Warunee Deejai, a street-food vendor, to raise prices, cut staff and work longer hours.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, responded by the West with sanctions caused resulting inflation to ripple out to the world.

Russia is the world’s third-biggest petroleum producer and a leading exporter of natural gas, fertilizer and wheat. Farms in Ukraine feed millions globally.

A vast majority of people live in poverty in Pakistan, whose currency has lost up to 30% of its value against the dollar and the government has increased electricity prices 50%.

The damage has hardly spared Russia, whose economy the IMF expects to contract 6% this year. Sergey Aleksashenko, a Russian economist now living in the United States, noted that the country’s retail sales tumbled 10% in the second quarter compared with a year earlier as consumers cut back.

More than 12 million people in Ukraine have fled their homes due to the war, according to United Nations relief agencies.
-AP