Pope Francis at the end of his general audience on April 6, made an appeal to end the “horrific cruelties” against unarmed women and children in Bucha, Ukraine , affirming that the blood of innocent civilians “cries out to heaven” for an end to the atrocities of war.

At the end of his general audience, Pope Francis said, “The recent news of the war in Ukraine, rather than bringing relief and hope, attests instead of new atrocities, like the massacre in Bucha: ever more horrendous cruelty done even against defenceless civilians, women and children. They are victims whose innocent blood cries to Heaven and implores put an end to this war! Silence the weapons! Stop sowing death and destruction! Let us pray together for this.”

The Holy Father held up a blue and yellow flag, brought to him from Bucha, Ukraine, saying “And yesterday, precisely from Bucha, they brought me this flag. This flag comes from the war, precisely from that war-torn city, Bucha. There are also some Ukrainian children who are here with us. Let us greet them and pray together with them.”

Pope Francis then invited Ukrainian refugee children to join him up on the stage in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall, “These children had to escape and come to a foreign land: this is one of the fruits of war. Let us not forget them and let us not forget the Ukrainian people. It is hard to be uprooted from your own land due to war.”

The Ukrainian children gave the pope some drawings that they had made, and the pope gave them some chocolate Easter eggs.

The pope also had a special message for Polish pilgrims, expressing gratitude for their extraordinary welcome of the more than 2.4 million Ukrainian refugees who have fled to Poland since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.
-CNA