Pope Francis sent a message to the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Cyril, describing the “devastation” caused by the war in Ukraine.
The letter took place on the occasion of the Orthodox Easter celebrated yesterday and was also sent to the patriarchs of other eastern churches.
“Dear brother! May the Holy Spirit change our hearts and make us truly peaceful, especially for war-ravaged Ukraine, so that the great Easter transition from death to new life in Christ becomes a reality for the people of Ukraine, who yearn for a new dawn. This will end the darkness of war.” wrote Francis.
The Pope added that “it is possible today to feel the full weight of the suffering of our human family, oppressed by violence, war and many injustices.”
As the patriarch of Moscow, Cyril is aligned with Vladimir Putin’s regime and has already shown popular support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He also blamed the West and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) for the conflict.
Francis and Cyril held a video conference meeting on March 16 where the Catholic leader warned the Orthodox patriarch that “wars are always unfair” and that religious figures should not “use the language of politics”.
However, in a recent interview with the Argentine newspaper La Nación, the Pope announced that the Vatican had stopped holding a meeting with Cyril in Jerusalem next June.
“Our diplomat realized that a meeting between the two at this time could cause a lot of confusion,” said Jorge Bergoglio. This will be the second face-to-face meeting between the two leaders, who met in Havana, Cuba, in 2016.
source: Noticias
