Pope Francis today issued a new appeal against the “reasonable and brutal” war in Ukraine, demanding the Christian stance on the conflict.

The statements came amid disagreements with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Cyril, who is in line with Vladimir Putin’s regime and has tried to justify the invasion by attributing it to the Western and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

“After the end of the Second World War, regional wars were never lacking, so much so that I have often talked about the third world war piecemeal, a little spread all over the place. “It threatens the whole world and cannot stop questioning the conscience of all Christians and all churches,” he said.

According to Francis, it is necessary to question “what the churches have done and can do to contribute to the development of a world community capable of realizing brotherhood, starting with peoples and nations living in social friendship”.

“To ignore the divisions among Christians out of habit or resignation is to tolerate the poisoning of hearts that create fertile ground for conflict,” added Jorge Bergoglio.

Unity among Christians will be one of the banners of Francis’ pontiff and one of the items on the agenda at the meeting with the Russian Orthodox Patriarch, scheduled for June in Jerusalem.

However, the meeting was canceled due to disagreements between the Vatican and Moscow over the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

While Bergoglio constantly raises objections against the war, Cyril takes a stance in line with the Kremlin, who warned the Pope that the primate cannot be “Putin’s altar child.”