Pope Francis made an appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the ‘spiral of violence and death’ in Ukraine.

Pope urges Putin to stop the ‘spiral of bloodshed and death’

For the first time, Pope Francis addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin directly on Sunday, October 2, pleading with him to halt the ‘spiral of bloodshed and death’ in Ukraine. According to the pope, the crisis in Ukraine was raising the possibility of a nuclear war with far-reaching repercussions.

In Peter’s Square, Pope Francis delivered a speech. The speech was intended for Ukraine. Putin’s annexation of a portion of Ukraine was denounced by the pope. It is against international law, he claimed.

According to a Vatican official, the moving speech was so solemn it brought to mind Pope John XXIII’s 1962 radio plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

This was the first time Pope Francis addressed Putin in such a direct and personal manner.

Francis urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to be receptive to any ‘genuine peace initiative,’ claiming that ‘rivers of blood and tears that have been poured in recent months’ troubled him.

Pope claimed he was pleading urgently for peace in Ukraine ‘in the name of God.’