On Wednesday, Pope Francis kissed a battered Ukrainian flag that he said was brought to him from the “martyred” Ukrainian city of Bucha as he denounced the “massacre” there and called again for an end to the war.
Francis held the flag as greeted Ukrainian refugee children on the stage of the Vatican audience hall. As he urged everyone to pay for the children of Ukraine he handed out wrapped giant Easter eggs to the a delighted group.
“The recent news from the war in Ukraine instead of bringing relief and hope, brought testimony of new atrocities, like the massacre in Bucha, even more horrendous cruelty carried out against civilians, defenseless women and children,” he said.
“They are victims whose innocent blood cries up to the sky and implores that this war be stopped, and that the weapons be silenced. Stop disseminating war and destruction.”