
As he once again reduced his public speaking during his weekly audience in St. Peter’s Square owing to ongoing health difficulties, Pope Francis delivered a new plea for peace and diplomacy, deploring the bloody battles in Gaza and Ukraine.
The pope delivered brief remarks at the conclusion of the gathering, mentioning the fallen Ukrainians, Israelis, and Palestinians. He emphasized that war is always a loss, that we cannot remain in war, that we should try to mediate and end war, and that we should pray for this.
Informing the faithful that he was compelled to restrict his public speaking, he assigned the responsibility to an assistant.
Pope Francis (87) did not read most of the texts he had prepared for the audience because he has mobility issues and has been sick with bronchitis and colds for the last several weeks.
In a conversation with the Swiss network RSI, the suggestion that Ukraine should fly the white flag and initiate negotiations with Russia was one of Francis’s contentious statements made earlier this month.
According to the Vatican Press Office, the Pope did not push Ukraine to surrender. The person with the most influence is the one who assesses the situation and thinks about his people. In no way do negotiations amount to a capitulation.
The Vatican said that the Ukrainian government has made it plain that Pope Francis supports a cease-fire and a moratorium rather than an outright capitulation. The pope’s spokesman, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, subsequently explained that Russia must first cease its aggressive actions.
Despite Zelenskyy’s repeated calls for the invaded country to lead peace talks, Ukraine has shown little willingness to work with Russia.
Reports reveal that Pope Francis has had to change his agenda and postpone public events due to his health problems. Pope Francis has stated his intention to step down from his position as head of the Catholic Church if his health becomes too much to bear.