Vatican City/Kyiv - At the conclusion of the General Audience, Pope Francis renewed his invitation to everyone to pray for peace from the Lord for "the beloved Ukrainian people who have been suffering the horrors of war for six months now."

He recalled the dangerous situation concerning the Zaporizhia nuclear plant and asked that concrete steps be taken to avert the risk of a catastrophe.

The Pope also recalled all war prisoners, saying they are close to his heart, especially those in precarious condition, asking that the authorities work for their realease.

Madness of war
Pope Francis recalled in particular the many children who have died, as well as the many wounded and refugees, stressing how many orphans there are now, both Ukrainian and Russian, saying "orphanhood has no nationality, they have lost their father or mother, whether Russians or Ukrainians."

The Pope went on to stress how many innocents are suffering so much cruelty, paying for the folly of war, "the madness, the madness on all sides - because war is madness."

He also recalled a young woman killed near Moscow in a car bombing.

A woman reacts as she visits the tomb of her relative, a Ukrainian serviceman who was killed in a fight against Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, during the Independence Day in Lviv /REUTERS

"The madness of war," he said. "I think of that poor girl blown up by a bomb under her car seat in Moscow. The innocent pay for war, the innocent! Let us think about this reality and say to each other: war is madness."

The Pope also decried those who profit from the weapons trade as offenders who kill humanity.

Remembering forgotten wars
In conclusion, Pope Francis called on us to remember the suffering in other countries where war has caused havoc, including Syria for over ten years, Yemen where so many children are dying of hunger, and the Rohingya in Myanmar who are forced to flee their lands due to injustice.

Today in a special way, the Pope said we remember Ukraine and Russia, both countries he has consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, praying that, "may she as Mother see these two countries - Ukraine and Russia - and may she bring us peace. We need peace."

Russian rocket strike kills 15
At least 15 people were killed and dozens wounded in a Russian rocket strike on a Ukrainian railway station on Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, as his nation marked the anniversary of its independence from Moscow-dominated Soviet rule.

Public celebrations of Independence Day on Wednesday were cancelled, but many Ukrainians marked the day by wearing embroidered shirts typical of the national dress.

Image / Ukrainian Presidential Press Service

Zelenskiy and his wife joined religious leaders for a service in Kyiv's 11th-century St. Sophia cathedral and laid flowers at a memorial to fallen soldiers.

In his speech, the 44-year-old leader vowed to recapture Russian-occupied areas of eastern Ukraine as well as the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014.

"We will not sit down at the negotiating table out of fear, with a gun pointed at our heads. For us, the most terrible iron is not missiles, aircraft and tanks, but shackles. Not trenches, but fetters," he said.
-VN/Reuters