Rivers of blood and tears are flowing in Ukraine said Pope Francis in his Sunday Angelus.
The Holy Father rejected Russia’s use of the term “special military operation” for its invasion of Ukraine. Instead of that, the Pope said the country was being battered by war and urging an immediate end to the fighting.
“In Ukraine, rivers of blood and tears are flowing. This is not just a military operation but a war which sows death, destruction and misery,” the Pope said in his weekly address to crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
The comments were the strongest the Pope had yet made about the violence although, as has been the case throughout the conflict, he did not condemn Russia by name.
Instead, he repeated his appeal for peace, the creation of humanitarian corridors and a return to negotiations.
“In that martyred country the need for humanitarian assistance is growing by the hour,” the pope said, speaking from a window overlooking the square. “War is madness, please stop.”
A day after Russia launched its invasion, Francis went into the Russian embassy to relay his concern.