ROME — Pope Francis reiterated his opposition to “just war theory” Friday, asserting that “war always diminishes us.”
Following a Vatican screening of the documentary “Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” by director Evgeny Afineevsky, the pontiff condemned all war without distinction in an impromptu address to those present, including members of the Ukrainian community in Rome.
“When God made man, he said to take the earth, make it grow, make it beautiful,” the pope declared. “The spirit of war is the opposite: to destroy, to destroy, not to let grow, to destroy everyone, men, women, children, the elderly, everyone.”
“Today marks one year of this war,” he continued. “Let us look at Ukraine, let us pray for Ukraine and open our hearts to sorrow.”
“Let us not be ashamed to suffer and weep, for a war is destruction, a war always…
