Pope Appeals to Russians on Ukraine and Condemns Violence in the Middle East

Pope Francis urged Russians today, Sunday, to seek the truth regarding the invasion of Ukraine and called for dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians in the wake of the latest wave of violence during his Easter message. The Pope spoke from the central balcony of St. Peter's Cathedral about the "darkness and gloom that often surrounds our world," and prayed for peace. He also called for peace in the Middle East following the recent violence in Jerusalem and cross-border gunfire between Israel and Lebanon and Syria. He noted the instability in Lebanon and expressed hope that "the persecuted Rohingya people find justice" in Myanmar, while calling for more aid for victims of the earthquakes in February, which resulted in nearly 56,000 deaths in Turkey and Syria. Pope Francis celebrated the Easter Mass in St. Peter's Square under sunny weather, having been forced to miss an outdoor event on Friday due to unusually cold weather as a precaution after his hospitalization in late March for treatment of bronchitis.