During a meeting with pilgrims on Sunday, Pope Francis called for an immediate end to the shelling of civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, which is especially dangerous as winter approaches. He also appealed to the Blessed Virgin Mary for intercession for Ukraine and called for an end to hostilities on all fronts in the Middle East.

This was reported by Vatican News.

In his appeals after the Angelus prayer on October 13, 2024, the Pope mentioned the “martyred of Ukraine” twice, expressing deep concern about the situation in the country. “I appeal to you to prevent Ukrainians from dying of cold, to stop air strikes on civilians, who always suffer the most. Stop killing innocent people!” he emphasized.