Pope Francis kisses Ukrainian flag as he denounces 'massacre of Bucha'
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Pope Francis on Wednesday condemned the “massacre of Bucha” and kissed a worn-out Ukrainian flag that was sent from the town that was decimated by Russian troops.
Following the withdrawal of Kremlin-led forces from the suburb of Bucha, located near Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv, dozens of corpses were seen littering the streets, some showing signs of torture.
“Recent news from the war in Ukraine, instead of bringing relief and hope, brought new atrocities, such as the massacre of Bucha,” Francis said during his weekly audience. “Cruelty that is increasingly horrendous, also against civilians, defenseless women and children. They are victims whose innocent blood cries out up to heaven and implores: ‘Stop this war! Let the weapons fall silent! Stop sowing death and destruction.’”
He told the audience he had received a Ukrainian flag from the “martyred city” of Bucha the day before. The pope then held up a war-stained flag before folding it and kissing it. A group of children who had fled the war in Ukraine joined him on the podium.
“These children had to flee and come to a strange land,” Francis said. “This is one of the fruits of war. Let’s not forget them, and let’s not forget the Ukrainian people.”
The pope has previously spoken out about the war in Ukraine, calling it “inhuman and sacrilegious.” In March he visited a pediatric hospital where he greeted several children who were receiving treatment after escaping the war. “One was missing an arm; one had a head injury … innocent children,” Francis said at a weekly audience.
Bucha was held by Russian forces from Feb. 27 until March 31, when Russian soldiers finally withdrew from the area. As Ukrainian troops and officials entered the town, horrific scenes began to emerge, with bodies found piled together and burned. A mass grave with more than 150 bodies was also discovered.
Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that more than 300 people had been tortured and killed in Bucha when Russian forces controlled the area.
The Russian Defense Ministry suggested that some of the dead civilians were actually actors pretending to be dead, claiming that the video shows the bodies still moving. Independent media fact checkers and satellite images contradict Russia’s claims; the many journalists documenting the aftermath of the killings also undermine Russia’s case.
President Biden said Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin should face a war crimes investigation for the deaths in Bucha.
