The new date is Jun 14, 2022.
In a conversation with the European Jesuit media published on Tuesday, Pope Francis once again criticized the brutality of Russian troops in their invasion of Ukraine.
Pope Francis holds a flag of Ukraine that comes from the city of Bucha, one of the areas around the country.
The Pope slammed Russia in an interview for La Civilta Cattolica for its use of mercenaries in the conflict.
The Pope said the Russians miscalculated by thinking the conflict would end in a week and instead encountered brave Ukrainians who are struggling to survive.
The leader of the Catholic church said it would be too simplistic to see the conflict through the lens of good guys and bad guys.
Pope Francis said that a head of state had expressed concerns to him about NATO "barking at the gates of Russia" and warned of the possibility of war.
The Pope wondered if the war wasprovoked or not stopped.
The Russian Orthodox church's head, Kirill, tried to justify the war in a 40-minute conversation with the Catholic leader.
Someone may tell me that I'm pro-Putin. The Pope said during the interview that he was against reducing complexity to the distinction between good guys and bad guys.
The Pope praised the bravery of the Ukrainian people despite his refusal to paint the situation black or white. The captured Russian soldiers and mercenaries were taken care of by the Ukrainian women. He said he wanted to emphasize the heroism of the Ukrainians.
Pope Francis said last month that he was prepared to meet Putin in person, but the Russian leader did not want to do that at that time. The Pope said in an interview with the Italian newspaper that the brutality of Russia's troops was similar to what he witnessed during the genocide in 1994. While the Catholic leader has spoken out against war and criticized Russia's invasion, he courted some controversy in April after announcing plans to include a prayer written by Russians and Ukrainians. Following protests from Ukrainian priests, the plan was dropped.
The Pope said the invasion of Ukraine violated nation's rights.
Pope Francis had a conversation with the editors of Jesuit journals.
The Pope wants a meeting with Putin and compares it to the genocide in Rwanda.
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