At the end of April, Ukrainian reporter Illia Ponomarenko posted this powerful photo on his Twitter profile. It shows the backpack of a Ukrainian soldier with the text of a simple prayer:
“God, if I die young, let me into Heaven, as I’ve already been to Hell.”
Lord, protect those who are fighting for their freedom. They are dying in the defense of their country. They are losing their loved ones. They are suffering.
In the context of this conflict, Pope Francis recently wrote: