Pope Francis Spoke Strongly Against the War in Ukraine

"In the name of God, I ask you: Stop this massacre!" This is what Pope Francis shouted in the Angelus Prayer on Sunday, March 13th, on the ninth anniversary of his election as Bishop of Rome. The Pope recalled the victims of Mariupol, "the barbarism of killing children, innocents and defenseless civilians", saying he wanted to put an end to what he unequivocally defined as "the unacceptable armed aggression" as "turning cities into cemeteries". He thanked for welcoming refugees Many and asked everyone to increase the moments of prayer for peace.

In the last part of the message, Francis used clear and firm words about the distorted use of religion to justify the ongoing massacres: "God is only the God of peace, He is not the god of war and those who support violence desecrate His name."

These are the same expressions that have been used many times in recent years by the Pope and his predecessors John Paul II and Benedict XVI, to warn against the instrumental use of the name of God to justify hatred, violence, terrorism.

But this time, the Pope's appeal is not to jihadist fundamentalism, but to anyone who thinks there may be a religious "cover," a religious explanation to be offered to believers, to a war in Ukraine in which bombs fall on Christians who share the same baptism.