Pope Francis urges faithful to pray for Greece

Pope Francis has called on the faithful to unite in prayer for Greece.

In a statement released by the Holy See yesterday, the Pope expressed his closeness to the Greek people as they face increasing economic and social turbulence.

The statement referred to the “economic and social situation of the country as worrying” and said that the Pope “conveys his closeness to all the Greek people, with a special thought for the many families gravely beset by such a complex and keenly felt human and social crisis”.

“The dignity of the human person must remain at the centre of any political and technical debate, as well as in the taking of responsible decisions,” the statement said.

It concluded by saying that Pope Francis invites all the faithful to “unite in prayer for the good of the beloved Greek people”.

Meanwhile, the head of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Greece, Archbishop Ieronymos II, has appealed to the Greek people to remain “at the heart of Europe” four days ahead of the referendum which will effectively determine whether they will remain in the euro.

The archbishop urged the people to vote “yes” and accept the creditors’ latest bailout conditions.