Pope decries killing of children, civilians in Ukraine

Vatican City: Pope Francis has decried the "barbarianism" of the killing of children and other defenseless civilians in Ukraine and pleaded for a stop to the attacks "before cities are reduced to cemeteries."

In some of his strongest denunciations yet of the war in Ukraine, and in apparent reference to Russia, which invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, the pontiff said that "there are no



strategic reasons that hold up" in the face of such armed aggression.

Francis told about 25,000 people gathered in St. Peter's Square for his customary Sunday noon appearance that Mariupol, the southern Ukrainian city which "bears the name" of the Virgin Mary, has "become a city martyred by the heartbreaking war that is devastating Ukraine."