ROME – “The Holy Father has learned with great sorrow the news about the attacks on two medical centres in Kyiv, including the largest Ukrainian children’s hospital, as well as a school in Gaza.”

According to a statement released by the Holy See Press Office on Tuesday, Pope Francis has expressed his deep distress over the increasing violence. “While expressing his closeness to the victims and innocent wounded,” the statement continues, “he hopes and prays that concrete paths may soon be identified to bring an end to the ongoing conflicts.”

Pope Francis has tirelessly appealed for peace and negotiated solutions to the wars in Ukraine and in Gaza, as well as sending Vatican envoys to both territories with humanitarian aid and messages of closeness and concern. The statement on Tuesday comes in the wake of Russian strikes in cities across Ukraine, on Monday that killed scores of people and hit a children’s hospital in Kyiv.

The statement on Tuesday comes in the wake of Russian strikes in cities across Ukraine, on Monday that killed scores of people and hit a children’s hospital in Kyiv.  According to the apostolic nuncio in Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas who spoke to Vatican Radio shortly after the strike, the dialysis ward of the pediatric hospital was hit. He expressed shock at the strike on the area where there are no military targets, just the nunciature, the hospital and some homes and shops.

What’s most shocking, he said, in this case, those who were struck were not only children, “but children who need oncological care or liver transplants or other organ transplants” When missiles target “the smallest of the smallest, the weakest of the weak,” he added, each one of us asks why. “Why does someone continue to provide explanations for the war as if it could be justified for some reason? I do not know how these consciences can continue to do so.” (Vatican news)…[+]