Holding The Ukrainian Flag From Bucha, Pope Francis: Their Innocent Blood Begs To The Sky This War Is Stopped

JAKARTA - Pope Francis on Wednesday condemned the Bucha massacre, raising the Ukrainian flag sent to him from the city where bound bodies were shot at close range, mass graves and other signs of execution were found.

"The latest news of the war in Ukraine, instead of bringing relief and hope, has brought new atrocities, such as the Bucha massacre," he said at the end of a weekly audience in the Vatican auditorium.

"The atrocities are increasingly horrendous, even against defenseless civilians, women and children. They are victims whose innocent blood is screaming to the sky and pleading: 'Stop this war! Let the weapons be silent! Stop sowing death and destruction'," said Pope Francis.

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Western countries' accusations of committing war crimes against Russian troops by executing civilians in Bucha were egregious fabrications aimed at degrading Russian soldiers.

"Yesterday, from Bucha to be exact, they brought me this flag," he said, unfolding it and holding it up for several thousand devotees. The flag was dark and stained and had writing on it.

"This flag came from the war, to be precise from the martyred city of Bucha," he exclaimed, before asking a group of war refugee children who arrived Tuesday from Ukraine to come to him.

"These children have to flee to arrive in safe land. This is the fruit of war. Don't forget them and don't forget the Ukrainian people," he said before giving each child a gift of a chocolate Easter egg.

Launching Vatican News, Pope Francis also invited everyone to pray in silence for a moment to ask God to end this war soon.