Pope Francis Proposes Easter Truce (Comprehensive)

"Foolish War, Christ Is Nailed to the Cross Again"
Intense Daily Condemnation of Civilian Massacres... Kyiv Visit Also Under Consideration

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Pope Francis proposed a ceasefire in the Ukraine war to mark Holy Week (a week commemorating the sufferings of Jesus on earth). On the 10th (local time), during the Palm Sunday Mass held at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican, he urged, "Let us lay down our arms and enter into an Easter ceasefire," emphasizing, "Let us achieve peace through genuine negotiations, not a ceasefire for rearmament and resumption of fighting."

In his homily during the Mass, Pope Francis also appealed for an end to the war, saying, "If we rely on violence, we forget why we exist in this world and commit meaningless acts of cruelty." He added, "We see this through foolish wars," and "Here, Christ is once again crucified."

Since the revelation of civilian massacres in Bucha, Ukraine, on the 6th, Pope Francis has continued to strongly condemn the acts. At that time, he showed the faithful the Ukrainian flag, which had turned pitch black, explaining, "It comes from the city of martyrdom, Bucha." He went on to say, "Recent news related to the Ukraine war testifies not to relief and hope but to new atrocities," emphasizing, "Defenseless civilians such as women and children are merely victims pleading not to sow seeds of death and destruction."

Despite the earnest appeals, the tragedy of war continues. According to the US CNN, a large-scale Russian offensive is imminent in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region. Russian forces are reorganizing and preparing to advance toward northeastern Kharkiv.

There are also ongoing analyses suggesting that brutal attacks on civilians may continue. Jake Sullivan, the US White House National Security Advisor, expressed concern that "Russia's new commander in charge of the Ukraine war has a history of barbaric acts against civilians in Syria," warning that "such acts could be committed more frequently in Ukraine." This refers to Aleksandr Dvornikov, who served as the commander of the Southern Military District until recently. In 2015, when the Assad regime in Syria bombed civilian-dense areas in eastern Aleppo, an opposition-held region, he sent warplanes to support the attacks.

Amid this comprehensive crisis, Pope Francis is also considering a visit to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. Specific plans such as the date have not yet been decided. Earlier, Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, had requested Pope Francis to visit as a peace envoy.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.