“Brothers and sisters, we have just prayed to the Virgin Mary,” Pope Francis said on March 13 to pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square, following the recitation of the Angelus. “This weekend, the city that bears her name, Mariupol, has become a city martyred by the ruinous war that is devastating Ukraine.”

“Faced with the barbarism of the killing of children, and of innocent and defenseless citizens, there are no strategic reasons that hold up: the only thing to be done is to cease the unacceptable armed aggression before the city is reduced to a cemetery,” he continued. “With an aching heart I add my voice to that of the common people, who implore the end of the war. In the name of God, listen to the cry of those who suffer, and put an end to the bombings and the attacks!”

“Let there be real and decisive focus on the negotiations, and let the humanitarian corridors be effective and safe,” he added. “In the name of God, I ask you: stop this massacre!”