Pope Francis sharply criticized the global “hypocrisy” of nations advocating for peace while profiting from war, calling for renewed efforts toward dialogue and reconciliation.
War in Ukraine
Papal charity point man driving to Ukraine for Christmas
For Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner, driving home for Christmas means taking a different route each year. In 2024, he marks his second Christmas in war-torn Ukraine.
Pope says there’s no religious justification for Russia’s war on Ukraine
In a letter to his nuncio in Russia, Pope Francis called out those who would claim Russia’s war on Ukraine had any spiritual justification.
Nuns, children almost killed in Russia’s St. Nicholas Day attack on Zaporizhzhia
Basilan Sisters and some 80 children in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia narrowly avoided being killed in a deadly Dec. 6 strike by Russia, as they celebrated a liturgy marking the feast of St. Nicholas.
Gudziak: Russia’s war on Ukraine undermines global, nuclear security
Russia’s war on Ukraine undermines global security, while standing to encourage nuclear proliferation, Archbishop Borys A. Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia told OSV News.
Broglio: Ukraine’s 1994 nuclear disarmament a ‘truly prophetic gesture’ marred by war
Ukraine’s 1994 unilateral nuclear disarmament was “a truly prophetic gesture in favor of global peace,” although Russia has long since abandoned its pledge at the time to honor Ukraine’s sovereignty, said the head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Ukrainian art therapist helps people traumatized by the war that took her son
Artist and psychologist Tetiana Myalkovska of Ukraine used her art therapy techniques to work with children who have special needs and with her country’s traumatized soldiers returning from the conflict when Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014.
Ceasefire, dialogue are the only paths to peace, pope says
Pope Francis praised a new ceasefire reached in Lebanon, prayed for Israeli hostages and Palestinians in Gaza, and appealed to world leaders to help put an end to the war in Ukraine.
Archbishop Gudziak: Ukraine remembers Soviet-era genocide amid ‘new genocidal war’
The Ukrainian global community is marking the 91st anniversary of a Soviet-era genocide, even “as a new genocidal war is being perpetrated against Ukraine and its people,” said Metropolitan Archbishop Borys A. Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia.
Pope condemns ‘arrogance of invaders’ in Ukraine and Palestine
The “arrogance” of the invaders attacking Ukraine and Palestine blocks the dialogue necessary to build peace in those countries, Pope Francis said.
Pope meets Ukrainian first lady, decries war as ‘shameful tragedy’
With Ukraine’s first lady seated in the front row, Pope Francis told people at his general audience that it is “a shameful tragedy for all humanity” that Russia’s war on Ukraine has lasted more than 1,000 days.
Pope prays for dialogue, reconciliation, peace in Ukraine
Pope Francis prayed for a conversion of hearts and a start to dialogue, reconciliation and peace in a letter marking the 1,000th day since Russia launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine.