In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Pope Francis said he has reached out to Russian President Vladimir Putin about meeting him in Moscow, warned Russian Patriarch Kirill against becoming an “altar boy” for the Kremlin, and compared the ongoing war in Ukraine to Rwanda’s genocide.
The newly created Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Central Asia elected Spanish-born Bishop José Luis Mumbiela Sierra of the Diocese of the Holy Trinity in Almaty, Kazakhstan, as its first president.
Renewing his appeal for peace, Pope Francis said he grieves for the suffering of the Ukrainian people, especially given reports of children and the elderly being forcibly deported to Russia.
Three years after multiple bombings killed more than 260 people on Easter and lingering questions remain about those behind the attacks, Pope Francis appealed to Sri Lankan authorities to shed light on what happened.
Pope Francis renewed his call for an Easter truce in Ukraine, as many in the country commemorate Christ’s resurrection under the shadow of war.
Being against war and for peace requires more than urgent appeals and treaties, according to Pope Francis. It requires a demanding, lifelong process that starts in the human heart and boldly expands outward into a broken world, he has said.
The allure of power and money can be used to proclaim falsehoods and obscure the joyous announcement of Christ’s victory over death, Pope Francis said.
Pope Francis speaks often of the importance of seeds being planted, and of the need to give them time and attention as they grow.
Young people should not allow the darkness of fear to overwhelm them and instead allow the light of Easter to illuminate their lives and give them courage, Pope Francis said.
A Ukrainian Marine commander pleaded with Pope Francis to do everything to save the city of Mariupol, which is close to being captured by Russian forces.
