Medal - Peace in Ukraine

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Lettering:
SIGNORE GESU´ NATO SOTTO LE BOMBE
DI KYIV, MORTO IN BRACCIO ALLA
MAMMA IN UN BUNKER DI KHARKIV
MANDATO VENTENNE AL FRONTE
ABBI PIETA´ DI NOI

FRANCISCUS
MISERANDO ATQUE ELIGENDO
IHS
PONT.MAX.AN.X MMXXII
D.LONGO

Designer: Daniela Longo

Comment

Mint: AVS Italy http://www.avsitaly.it/

On 24 February 2022, Russia began the war against Ukraine. Images appeared before the eyes of the whole world that we hoped had been relegated forever to the dark depths of our memory. But here again we see images full of the folly of man against man, suffering, fear and death as seen in the destroyed cities, gutted buildings, crumbling roads, collapsed bridges, broken trees, dead people, broken families, the weeping of women and the heartbreak of children, the elderly uprooted from their homes, massacres, refugees, millions fleeing, horrors. This is war, which Pope Benedict XV in his heartfelt appeals to rulers more than a century ago, termed ‘a useless slaughter’. The Vatican City State Mint is issuing this official medal on the theme of Peace in Ukraine as a way to join calls for a halt to weapons and a return to dialogue. Two artists, Orietta Rossi and Daniela Longo, have each designed one side of the medal. The first side depicts three people fleeing from a city destroyed by bombs with their entire lives in a suitcase and a soft toy in their hands, guided by a young mother who is walking towards us reminding us of our duty to welcome and show solidarity. At the top, in Latin and Cyrillic, the words PAX - MИP appear. On the obverse side, Daniela Longo depicts a dove of peace, below the coat of arms of Pope Francis and part of the prayer he recited during the General Audience of 16 March 2022, when he made a heartfelt invocation for mercy on every person, who like Christ suffers due to war.
All proceeds from the sale of the medals will be donated to the Holy Father for charitable work in favour of the Ukrainian people.