Pope prays for Christians in China and Middle East

Following the Regina Caeli prayer on Sunday, the Pope marked the World Day of Prayer for the Church in China. The day of prayer, the Pope noted, coincides with the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary Help of Christians, who is venerated "with profound devotion" at the Shrine of Sheshan in Shanghai.

Pope Leo thus entrusted the Chinese Christian community to Mary, in order that it might continue bear witness to the Gospel:“Let us join our prayers with those of Chinese Catholics, as a sign of our affection for them and of their communion with the universal Church and with the Successor of Peter. May the intercession of the Queen of Heaven grant the believing community in China the grace of unity and give everyone the strength to witness the Gospel in their daily struggles, so that they might be seeds of hope and peace. In particular, I invoke eternal peace for the victims of the recent mining accident in northern China.”

The Pope then renewed his appeal to Mary, Help of Christians, entrusting to her “the Christian communities of the Holy Land, Lebanon, and the entire Middle East, who are suffering because of war.”