Pope Francis today urged an end to the “abominable” war in Ukraine, which is causing so much suffering among the population, and said that these armed conflicts are “a failure of politics and humanity.”
“The current moment leaves us deeply concerned, because it is marked by the forces of evil,” Francis said in a video message sent to the participants of the interreligious pilgrimage organized in solidarity with the Ukrainian people by the Elijah Interfaith Institute in Chernivtsi, in southwestern Ukraine.
The Argentine pontiff lamented “the suffering inflicted on so many fragile and defenseless people; the numerous massacred civilians and innocent victims among young people; the desperate situation of women and children” and implored “the invaluable gift of peace for the beloved Ukrainian people”.
The situation in Ukraine, Jorge Bergoglio added, forces human beings “not to remain silent, not to remain indifferent to violence” and to “speak forcefully to demand, in the name of God, an end to these abominable actions.”
He argued that “the atrocious and painful events” that have taken place in the country since Russia launched a military offensive on February 24 “confirm that war is a failure of politics and humanity, a shameful capitulation, a sharp defeat before the forces of evil.”
Finally, he argued that this war “contradicts all the efforts made in past decades to build a world with fewer weapons and more peace,” and called on the rulers to bet on peace.
“May the dignity of the human person and the sacredness of life always be the firm principles that guide and guide our commitment to fraternity,” he concluded.
Earlier this month, in two messages posted on his Twitter profile, the Supreme Pontiff asked to pray for the victims and said: “We are all guilty! ”.
“We have to cry over the graves. Don't we care about youth? It hurts me what happens today. We don't learn. May the Lord have mercy on us, on all of us. We're all guilty! #Paz #Ucrania,” Francisco wrote on Twitter. Under the same hashtags, the Pope insisted: “The logic of war has been imposed once again, because we are no longer used to thinking with the logic of peace. We are stubborn, we are in love with wars, with the spirit of Cain.”
The Vatican head of state has been avoiding for 40 days directly condemning Moscow for the invasion and war crimes that accumulate daily, which has caused received criticism from different sectors. And although he has said that whoever justifies religiously motivated violence “desecrates the name” of God, he has avoided criticizing the main defender and religious apologist of the war, Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church.
During all these days of violence - described as war crimes by Western powers - Francis has carefully avoided appointing Russian President Vladimir Putin, or even Russia itself, as aggressor.
A recent editorial by the National Catholic Reporter, which is often sympathetic to Francis, urged the pope to draw Putin's attention. “Whatever is going on behind the scenes, it's time for Francis to tell the truth about the murderous assault on Ukraine,” he said, adding: “It's time to tell things as they are. This is Putin's war and it's evil.”
(With information from EFE)
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