Russian President Vladimir Putin did not invade Ukraine out of concern that NATO would encroach on his borders, but concern about "the disease of democracy that could spread like a virus, and that's deadly for oligarchies and authoritarian rulers," said the archbishop
Russia's war on Ukraine "seems to have changed" the world, said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state.
Since the invasion Feb. 24, the bombings and battles have sent millions of refugees fleeing, led several countries to consider increasing military spending and raised
In a telephone call with Russia's foreign minister, the Vatican secretary of state "conveyed Pope Francis' deep concern about the ongoing war in Ukraine," the Vatican said.
The statement from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's office about the phone call March 8, said
The attack on and seizure of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant by Russian forces could lead to an ecological disaster 10 times worse than the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, said the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church.
In a video message released March 4,
As Ukrainians turn to their faith amid the ongoing tragedy of Russia's invasion of their nation, many who follow both the Orthodox and Catholic traditions will look to an unusual icon of Mary as a symbol of the solace they seek.
In some
PHILADELPHIA (CNS) — A March 1 Russian military strike on the capital of Ukraine damaged the site of one of World War II’s largest massacres of Jews, prompting global condemnation and a call from scholars to preserve the memory of Holocaust victims.
For the past several months, as Vladimir Putin stockpiled tens of thousands of troops on Ukraine’s doorstep, the world braced for war, fearing the worst yet praying that the Russian president was simply puffing out his chest and flexing his military might
Pope Francis said his heart was "broken" by the war in Ukraine, and he pleaded again, "Silence the weapons!"
"Many times, we prayed that this path would not be taken," he told people gathered in St. Peter's Square for the midday recitation of
As Russia continued its assault on Ukraine and Russian troops pressed toward the capital, Kyiv, Pope Francis left the Vatican Feb. 25 to pay a visit to the Russian ambassador to the Holy See.
The pope went to the embassy, located at the
The Russian military invasion of Ukraine began just as the intelligence community in the West said it would, with missiles targeting key military and communications posts near Ukraine’s principal cities: Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odessa, even as far west as Lviv. Hours before this