VATICAN CITY. The Pope showed a flag from the “battered city” of Bucha, Ukraine, at the general audience, denouncing the “increasingly horrendous cruelties” committed by the Russian army in Ukraine, and appealing that “we stop sowing death and destruction”. Also at the hearing, Francis denounced the “impotence” of the UN.
“The recent news on the war in Ukraine instead of bringing relief and hope instead testifies to new atrocities such as the massacre in Bucha”, said Jorge Mario Bergoglio at the end of the hearing: “More and more horrendous cruelty, also committed against civilians, women and unarmed children . They are victims whose innocent blood cries out to heaven and begs for an end to this war, for the weapons to be silenced, for the sowing of death and destruction to be stopped. Let us pray together about this », continued the Argentine Pontiff. “Yesterday precisely from Bucha – he continued – they brought me this flag: this flag comes from the war, precisely from the tormented city of Bucha and there are also some Ukrainian children here who accompany us: let’s greet them and pray together with them”, continued the Pope, who stood up first showing the flag with the yellow and blue colors of Ukraine, and then invited the Ukrainian children to join him on the stage: “These children – Francis explained to the faithful present in the Paul VI hall – are had to flee and reach a strange land: this is one of the fruits of the war: let’s not forget them and let’s not forget the Ukrainian people. It is hard – Bergoglio concluded – to be uprooted from one’s land for a war ».
Pope Francis shows Ukrainian flag from Bucha
On the return flight from Malta, Sunday evening, a journalist asked the Pope for an opinion on the current situation, saying among other things that “today we were struck by the images coming from Bucha, a town near Kiev, abandoned by the Russian army where the Ukrainians found dozens of corpses thrown on the street, some with their hands tied, as if they had been “executed” ». “Thank you for telling me this news today, which I did not yet know,” replied the 85-year-old Pope, at the end of a two-day trip to Malta with a very busy schedule. «War is always a cruelty, an inhuman thing, which goes against the human spirit, I don’t say Christian, human. It is the spirit of Cain, the “Cainist” spirit ». Already on Monday, L’Osservatore Romano reported the news of a “video released by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense” which “shows national military vehicles advancing through the deserted streets littered with corpses. Corpses of civilians. Some have their hands tied behind their backs, a sign of a real execution by the Russian armed forces ”. A photo of Bucha was published yesterday on the front page of the Vatican newspaper.
During the catechesis, dedicated precisely to the trip to Malta, the Pope spoke several times about Ukraine: “Today – he said – we often talk about” geopolitics “, but unfortunately the dominant logic is that of the strategies of the most powerful states for asserting one’s interests by extending the area of economic, ideological and military influence: we are seeing it with the war, ”said Jorge Mario Bergoglio at the Wednesday general audience, which focused on his recent trip to Malta last weekend. The Mediterranean island, the Pope said, represents, in this context, the right and the strength of the “little ones”, of small nations but rich in history and civilization, which should pursue another logic: that of respect and of the logic of freedom, of the conviviality of differences, as opposed to the colonization of the most powerful: we are seeing it now and – the Argentine Pontiff pointed out – not only on one side, but also on others. After the Second World War an attempt was made to lay the foundations for a new history of peace, but unfortunately we do not learn the old history of competing great powers has gone on. And, in the current war in Ukraine, we are witnessing – the Pope said – the impotence of the United Nations organizations ».
Francis retraced some of the salient moments of his trip to Malta, a «key-place», among other things, «with regard to the phenomenon of migration. In the John XXIII reception center – the Pope recalled – I met numerous migrants, who landed on the island after terrible journeys. We must not tire of listening to their testimonies, because only in this way can we get out of the distorted vision that often circulates in the mass media and can we recognize the faces, the stories, the wounds, the dreams and the hopes. Each migrant is unique, like each of us, he is a person with his dignity, his roots, his culture. Each of them is the bearer of an infinitely greater wealth than the problems that welcoming him can also entail. Let us not forget that Europe was made up of migration. Of course, hospitality must be organized, it must be governed, and first, much earlier, it must be planned together, at an international level. Because the migratory phenomenon cannot be reduced to an emergency, it is a sign of our times. As such it should be read and interpreted. It can become a sign of conflict, or a sign of peace. It depends on us. Those who gave life to the John XXIII Center in Malta made the Christian choice and for this reason they called it “Peace Lab”: a laboratory of peace. But I – Francis said – would like to say that Malta as a whole is a laboratory of peace! The whole nation with its own attitude is a laboratory of peace. And he can carry out his mission if, from his roots, he draws the lymph of fraternity, compassion, solidarity. The Maltese people have received these values together with the Gospel, and thanks to the Gospel they will be able to keep them alive. For this, as Bishop of Rome, I went to confirm that people in faith and communion ”. The Franciscan friar who runs the center for migrants, the Pope stressed, “is 91 years old and continues to work in this way, with the collaborators of the diocese: an example of apostolic zeal and love for migrants that today is very important”.
At the end of the catechesis, the Pope addressed a particular thought to the Polish faithful present: “During this time of Lent, which prepares us for the celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection, you have shown an extraordinary and exemplary generosity towards our Ukrainian brothers, for whom you have opened the hearts and doors of your homes. Thank you, thank you so much for what you have done with the Ukrainians. The Lord bless your country for this solidarity of yours and show you his face “.