Since the invasion of Ukraine began, Pope Francis has called for peace during nearly all of his public appearances.
POPE FRANCIS
Stop this massacre.
On some occasions to the point of tears.
He listened to the wives of the soldiers at war.
Please, don't let them die.
And during the Stations of the Cross in 2022, he allowed a Russian and a Ukrainian woman to walk together carrying the cross as a sign of peace.
He prayed in front of the image of Mary Queen of Peace in Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major, the same statue that Pope Benedict XV prayed in front of for the end of the first World War.
And in March 2022, Pope Francis consecrated Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, where he warned of the danger of forgetting “the lessons of the last century.”
POPE FRANCIS
The Ukrainian people and the Russian people, who venerate you with love, have recourse to you, while your heart beats for them and for all people decimated by war.
But Pope Francis' actions went beyond prayers. He sent cardinals to Ukraine to show his closeness to those affected by the war. And diplomatically, he helped facilitate the return of some Ukrainian children who were taken to Russia during the war.
PA/JRB
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