As I was coming home from some appointments this afternoon, I was on a bus whose route took it briefly to Via della Conciliazione, the broad avenue that leads from St. Peter’s Square east to Castel Sant’Angelo and the Tiber River. All, or most of , the buildings on Conciliazione are Vatican-owned and they house offices, congregations, and other dicasteries of the Roman Curia. In addition, some embassies to the Holy See have their offices in these buildings.
As the bus stopped at a red light, I saw that two of the embassies, in a building I know well, had blue and yellow banners – the national colors of Ukraine – in the windows outside of which their flags flew.
Here you see the Canadian flag –
And here, on the top floor, is the flag of Taiwan (Republic of China).
The embassy located one floor above Canada and below Taiwan is Malaysia. You can see the partially unfurled flag.
Other embassies are further down on Via della Conciliazione but I did not get off the bus to check them.
Here is a photo of a salute to Ukraine on the Rome subway –
CARDINAL SANDRI TO UKRAINIANS IN ROME: “ BE STRONG”
The Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches tells the Ukrainian community living in Rome that they are not alone in this tragic moment and to confide in the power of prayer
By Lisa Zengarini
As Christians worldwide united on Ash Wednesday in a day of prayer and fasting for peace in Ukraine , the Ukrainian Greek Catholic community in Rome gathered in prayer in their Roman church around their pastor, Bishop Dionisij Ljachovič, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Exarchate of Italy.
Attending the event was also Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, who expressed his heartfelt closeness to the all the suffering Ukrainian people in this tragic moment for their country.
No words, only prayer
“We don’t have many words to say,” the Argentinian cardinal said in his brief remarks. “The words are those we sang and we recited invoking the intercession of the Mother of God, Queen of Ukraine. He insisted that in the face of so much shame for humanity and so much suffering the only weapon available is prayer.
“We have no words. We don’t have missiles, we don’t have guns, we don’t have tanks, we don’t have the force of violence that wants to impose itself at any price. We have the strength of humility of those who receive the contempt of the world and of the powerful of the earth. Our only weapon – in this we join our Pope Francis – in the face of so much shame for humanity and so much suffering is this we have done today: to pray.” Cardinal Sandri to Ukrainians in Rome: “Be strong” – Vatican News
UKRAINE CRISIS: HOLY SEE REITERATES APPEAL TO OPEN HUMANITARIAN CORRIDORS
Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations stresses the importance of humanitarian corridors to ensure the safety and protection of thousands of people fleeing ongoing hostilities in Ukraine.
By Benedict Mayaki, SJ
The Holy See has called for the opening of humanitarian corridors in the face of the increasing and concerning number of civilian casualties, as well as the damage to critical infrastructure that trails the war in Ukraine.
Speaking at the “Joint Launch of the Humanitarian Flash Appeal and the Regional Refugee Response Plan for Ukraine” on Tuesday, Archbishop Gabriele Caccia noted that the number of people fleeing ongoing hostilities and crossing into neighbouring countries is fast approaching 700,000, and is likely to increase due to disruptions to local supply chains, essential services, access to food and other basic goods
Reiterating Pope Francis’ appeal at the Sunday Angelus, he stressed the urgency of opening humanitarian corridors, as well as ensuring full, safe, and unhindered access for humanitarian actors to deliver assistance to civilian populations in need. Ukraine crisis: Holy See reiterates appeal to open humanitarian corridors – Vatican News
Joan's Rome 