How Many Must Die? Pope Blasts Russia War, Appeals for Peace
He made the appeal in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan, where he opened a global interfaith conference.
Pope Francis attends the plenary session of the VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions at the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation in Nur-Sultan on Sept. 14.
Photographer: Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty ImagesNur-Sultan, Kazakhstan (AP) -- Pope Francis told the Russian Orthodox hierarchy and other faith leaders Wednesday that religion must never be used to justify the “evil” of war, and asked at an outdoor Mass in Kazakhstan, “How many deaths will it take?” for peace to prevail in Ukraine.
An increasingly frail Francis made the appeal during his first full day in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan, where he opened a global interfaith conference and ministered to the tiny Catholic community in the majority Muslim country.