“We hope and pray that this war – shameful for all of us, for all of humanity – will end as soon as possible: “it is unacceptable; each additional day adds more death and destruction.” Pope Francis used the strong language to denounce the Russian invasion of Ukraine on March 26 when he received in the Vatican some 700 volunteers of the Italian Radio Transceivers’ Federation Citizens’ Band. Expressing appreciation for their work he said, “You put your passion as radio amateurs at the service of society. You have turned it into an effective tool for civil protect-ion and solidarity with the neediest and most fragile people and the most vulnerable social groups. This is very nice: a personal passion that becomes social service. It is the principle of gifts, of talents, put to good use for the common good.”

March 26, 2022