In his speech in Malta, he did not name the President of the Russian Federation, but the reference was obvious.

Pope / photo REUTERS

The Pope lashed out at Russian President Vladimir Putin for unleashing a “cruel war” in Ukraine.

In his Saturday speech in Malta, he did not mention his name, but the reference was obvious.

“We thought that foreign invasions, violent street fighting and nuclear threats were dark memories of a distant past. But once again, some overlord, unfortunately mired in anachronistic statements of nationalist interests, provokes and fuels conflicts, while while ordinary people feel the need to build a future that will either be shared or not at all,” he said.

Earlier it was reported that Pope Francis is thinking about visiting Kiev in the near future .

On March 19, Pope Francis visited the Bambino Gesu pediatric hospital in the Vatican to visit Ukrainian  children who were injured  during the war in Ukraine.

On March 20, Pope Francis  prayed for peace in Ukraine in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican  and said that Russia’s attack on Ukraine is a sacrilege that has no justification. The Pope also addressed the world community and called for efforts to stop the bloodshed in Ukraine.

And on March 23, it became known that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, during a dialogue with the Pope,  invited him to visit Ukraine . 

(c)UNIAN 2022