Pope Francis once again condemned Russia’s war in Ukraine during his weekly address Sunday—but he notably did not name the aggressor. “It is a senseless massacre where every day slaughters and atrocities are being repeated,” Francis said, lamenting that the “violent aggression against Ukraine is unfortunately not slowing down,” without naming Russia or its president as the instigators of the violence. (The New York Timesreported earlier this week that Pope Francis has avoided directly naming Putin or Russia as the aggressor out of mostly diplomatic concerns). The Pope noted the invasion’s impact on women and children, worrying they could be subjected to human trafficking. “I beg all the players in the international community to truly commit themselves to stopping this repugnant war,” he said. The latest remarks came after the Pope made repeated yet vague comments on the war over the past week, decrying a “perverse abuse of power” by Russia in attacking Ukrainian culture while also condemning the concept of a “just war” as obsolete.
