Pope Francis called for prayers for both the Ukrainian and Russian people as he presided over Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.
Francis, 86, spoke on April 9 before tens of thousands of faithful gathered on the square, after he was forced him to skip the Way of the Cross outdoor procession on Good Friday, following his hospitalization for bronchitis at the end of March.
Speaking from a balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, Francis asked God to “help the beloved Ukrainian people on their journey toward peace, and shed the light of Easter upon the people of Russia.″
The head of the Roman Catholic Church also urged the international community to work to end the war and all conflicts that „stain the world with blood” in his Urbi et Orbi, Latin for „to the city and the world” message.
Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the pontiff has mentioned Ukraine in almost all of his public speeches and has increasingly criticized Moscow.
Francis, who also called on Israelis and Palestinian to work toward „a climate of trust,” spoke as Orthodox Christians observed Palm Sunday and the start of Holy Week.
The Eastern Orthodox Church which is the main church in Russia and Ukraine celebrates Easter on April 16.
