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Jun 14, 2022 · In a new interview, Pope Francis more openly criticized Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and clarified his position that NATO is partially to blame for the outbreak of war.
May 5, 2023 · Pope Francis has staked a position on the war in Ukraine that puts him more in line with Beijing, New Delhi, and Brasília than Washington, London, or Brussels: He wants to end Ukraine’s...
Mar 11, 2024 · The Kremlin has said Pope Francis’s call for talks to end the war in Ukraine was “quite understandable”, while NATO’s secretary general said now was not the time to talk about “surrender”.
- Ukraine: Any Act of War ‘Is A Crime Against God and Humanity’
- Iran: ‘The Death Penalty Cannot Be Employed’
- Women’s Rights: ‘They Are Subjected to Violence and Abuse’
- The Americas: ‘Heightened Political and Social polarisation’
The pope denounced the “wake of death and destruction” caused by Russia’s nearly-year-long offensive in Ukraine, describing the war as “a crime against God and humanity”.He said attacks on civilian infrastructure were causing deaths “not only from gunfire and acts of violence but also from hunger and freezing cold.”“Every act of war directed to the indiscriminate destruction of whole cities or vast areas with their inhabitants is a crime against God and humanity which merits firm and unequivocal condemnation,...The pope also warned of a rising nuclear threat which evoked memories of the Cuban missile crisis in 1962.Francis condemned Tehran’s use of the death penaltyagainst demonstrators who are demanding greater freedoms for women.The remarks were his strongest yet on the nationwide protests over the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody that have gripped Iran since mid-September.“The death penalty cannot be employed for a purported state justice, since it does not constitute a deterrent nor render justice to victims, but only fuels the thirst for vengeance,” he said.At least four people have been executed in Iran since the demonstrations over Amini’s death began.In a broader comment on women’s rights globally, the pope said women in many countries are still treated as “second-class citizens”.“They are subjected to violence and abuse, and are denied the opportunity to study, work, employ their talents, and have access to health care and even to food,” Francis said.The comment on education could refer to the Afghan Taliban’s recent moveagainst women who want to study at the university level.Francis expressed alarm over a “weakening of democracy” in the Americas, citing the storming of government buildingsin Brazil on Sunday by supporters of former populist leader Jair Bolsonaro.The spectacle was evidence of the “heightened political and social polarisation” afflicting various regions of the Americas, he said.He said there were several countries where “political crises are laden with tensions and forms of violence that exacerbate social conflicts”.“I am thinking of these last few hours in Brazil,” the pope said, in a line that was not included in the pre-released text of his speech.May 3, 2022 · ROME — Pope Francis said that NATO “barking” at Russia’s door may have led to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine — and said he has offered to meet the Russian president in Moscow.
Mar 11, 2024 · BRUSSELS, March 11 (Reuters) - NATO boss Jens Stoltenberg made clear on Monday that he disagreed with Pope Francis’s comments that Ukraine should have the "courage of the white flag" and...
May 2, 2023 · On Sunday, following a visit to Hungary and a meeting with Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Pope Francis spoke of a secret peace "mission" involving Russia's war on Ukraine. Francis offered no...
