A woman sits in a area hit by shelling in Ukraine (AFP or licensors)
By Andrea Tornielli
Mar 7 2022
Pope Francis during the Angelus appeals against the Russian attack that “sows death, destruction and misery”. He thanks journalists who risk their lives to allow us “to assess the cruelty” of what is happening in Ukrainian cities.
The war in Ukraine is a “war”, not a “military operation”. At the beginning of his new appeal for peace, Pope Francis refuted the fake news that would like to present what is happening with verbal subterfuge to mask the cruel reality of the facts.
A third emphasis concerns the urgency of humanitarian action. The Pope asked that “humanitarian corridors really be ensured”, and emphasis should be placed on that “really”, which indicates that yesterday, despite declarations of intent by the Russian army invading Ukraine, this did not really happen. The Bishop of Rome also called for respect for international law, evidently violated by those who wanted to unleash this war of aggression.
Again, Pope Francis implored that “armed attacks cease” because it is clear that we are talking about a war of aggression, where there are those who attack and those who defend themselves. And where there is a people who are paying terrible consequences: death, suffering, divided families, millions of refugees.
Lastly, after expressing his gratitude for those who are taking in those who are fleeing, the Pope expressed his gratitude to the journalists who are risking their lives to provide information, thus enabling everyone to be close to the drama of the Ukrainian people and “to assess the cruelty of a war”.
A thank you that comes just three days after the approval of a new law in Russia that allows Russian and foreign citizens who spread ‘false information about the armed forces’ to be sentenced to up to fifteen years in prison. Because there are those who claim to call this dirty war ‘a military operation’. -Vatican News
