Pope Francis Raises Ukraine Flag from City of Bucha Saying "...victims whose innocent blood cries to Heaven and implores: put an end to this war! - Let us pray together for this…"

 After his Wednesday General Audience, on April 6, 2022, Pope Francis made the following Appeal: (he lifted a Ukrainian flag given to him from the city of Bucha, Ukraine where a massacre occurred, he also kissed the flag)

The recent news of the war in Ukraine, rather than bringing relief and hope, attests instead of new atrocities, like the massacre in Bucha: ever more horrendous cruelty done even against defenseless civilians, women and children.  

 They are victims whose innocent blood cries to Heaven and implores: put an end to this war! Silence the weapons! Stop sowing death and destruction! Let us pray together for this…

And yesterday, precisely from Bucha, they brought me this flag. This flag comes from the war, precisely from that war-torn city, Bucha. There are also some Ukrainian children who are here with us. Let us greet them and pray together with them.

These children had to escape and come to a foreign land: this is one of the fruits of war. Let us not forget them, and let us not forget the Ukrainian people. It is hard to be uprooted from your own land due to war.