Pope Francis dedicated his most recent Sunday Angelus address to the war in Ukraine, giving his strongest condemnation of the Russian invasion so far and appealing directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky to find a path to peace.
He also condemned the use of nuclear weapons, as well as the threat of using them.
“The course of the war in Ukraine has become so serious, devastating, and threatening, as to cause great concern. Therefore, today I would like to devote the entire reflection before the Angelus to this,” he started his address.
He then said that he was saddened by the “rivers of blood” that have been spilled since the invasion of Ukraine began seven months ago and went on to condemn the war.
“Certain actions can never be justified, never! It is disturbing that the world is learning the geography of Ukraine through names such as Bucha, Irpin, Mariupol, Izium, Zaporizhzhia, and other areas, which have become places of indescribable suffering and fear,” the pope said. “And what about the fact that humanity is once again faced with the atomic threat? It is absurd.”
“What is to happen next?” he added. “How much blood must still flow for us to realise that war is never a solution, only destruction?”
He called for an immediate ceasefire and the start of peace negotiations, “in the name of God and in the name of the sense of humanity that dwells in every heart.”
The pope also said he deeply deplored “the grave situation that has arisen in recent days, with further actions contrary to the principles of international law,” likely a reference to Russia’s illegal declaration of its annexation of Ukrainian territory along the Russian border.
He then spoke directly to Putin and Zelensky.
“My appeal is addressed first and foremost to the President of the Russian Federation, imploring him to stop this spiral of violence and death, also for the sake of his own people. On the other hand, saddened at the immense suffering of the Ukrainian people as a result of the aggression they have suffered, I address an equally confident appeal to the President of Ukraine to be open to serious proposals for peace,” he said.
He also implored all international actors to use all diplomatic means possible to help end the conflict.
“Let us trust in the mercy of God, who can change hearts, and in the maternal intercession of the Queen of Peace,” he concluded.
