During Sunday prayer on December 15, Pope Francis described Russia and Ukraine as "brothers" and again called for peace in Russia's war against Ukraine.
"They are brothers, cousins. Let them come to an understanding. War is always a defeat. Peace to the whole world," the Pope said during a visit to the French island of Corsica.
The pope has earned a controversial reputation in Ukraine with his earlier statements in which he relativized responsibility for the war to Russia, encouraging Ukrainians to have the "courage" to negotiate for peace.
During his Sunday prayer service on December 8, he called on politicians and world leaders to achieve a worldwide ceasefire before Christmas.
His words came as Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine is about to enter its third year, with 2024 marking the 10th anniversary of Russia's illegal occupation of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as the Crimean peninsula.
In October, Pope Francis met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Vatican to exchange symbolic gifts. Zelensky received a bronze bas-relief with a flower and the inscription "Peace is a fragile flower", and Pope Francis received a painting depicting the Bucha massacre.
The chances of the war stopping for Christmas seem slim. Russian forces are gaining momentum in eastern Ukraine, ramping up offensive operations ahead of the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump in January 2025 | BGNES
