Pope Francis on Friday once again condemned the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war which entered the 23rd day. Without naming Moscow once again, the Pope during his message to a Catholic Church conference in Slovakian capital Bratislava recalled the horrific scenes during the two World Wars that hit Europe during the 20th century.
Here are the five big statements by the Pope while condemning the uninterrupted war taking place in Ukraine ever since Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion on Ukraine, calling it a military operation.
> “The tragedy of the war taking place in the heart of Europe has left us stunned”
> “Once more humanity is threatened by a perverse abuse of power and partisan interests which condemns defenceless people to suffer every form of brutal violence” the Pope told the Catholic Church conference
>"Faced with the barbarity of killing of children, of innocents and unarmed civilians, no strategic reasons can hold up. The only thing to do is stop this unacceptable armed aggression before it reduces cities into cemeteries. In the name of God I ask you: stop this massacre!" Pope said on March 13
> “In Ukraine, rivers of blood and tears are flowing. This is not only a military operation but a war which is leading to death, destruction and misery” the Pope said on March 6
> "The ones who pay the price of war are the people, the Russian soldiers and the people who are bombarded and die," the Pope told Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The fighting between the Russian and Ukrainian forces continues to escalate with each passing day. Kyiv, Mariupol, Lviv and Kharkiv are relentlessly being bombed by the Russian forces. The Ukrainian authorities on Friday said Russian missiles targeted a military aircraft repair facility near the airport in cultural capital Lviv.
> "The ones who pay the price of war are the people, the Russian soldiers and the people who are bombarded and die," the Pope told Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The fighting between the Russian and Ukrainian forces continues to escalate with each passing day. Kyiv, Mariupol, Lviv and Kharkiv are relentlessly being bombed by the Russian forces. The Ukrainian authorities on Friday said Russian missiles targeted a military aircraft repair facility near the airport in cultural capital Lviv.