VATICAN CITY (Reuters – Pope Francis on Sunday marked an “Easter” of war and asked leaders to hear people’s pleas for peace in Ukraine. In doing so, he implicitly criticised Russia and accused it of dragging Ukraine into a “cruel, senseless” conflict.

Francis addressed approximately 50,000 people in St. Peter’s Square to give his bi-annual “Urbi et Orbi” address (to city and the world). He stated that Ukraine had been “severely tried” by the violence, destruction and cruelty of the senseless and cruel wars into which it was dragged.