Pope Francis paid tribute Wednesday to a Ukrainian soldier killed in the war with Russia, holding up the young man’s Bible at his weekly audience and calling for a moment of silence for victims of the conflict.
“This boy was called Olexandre, Alexander, 23 years old… he died in Adviika,” a battered frontline town in the eastern Donetsk region, the 87-year-old pontiff said.
“He had his life ahead of him.”
Francis held up the soldier’s rosary — Catholic prayer beads — and a copy of the New Testament, part of the Christian Bible, covered in military camouflage.
“I would like everyone to take a moment in silence, to think about this boy and many others like him who have died in this madness of war,” the pope added before a crowd of thousands at St Peter’s Square.
“War always destroys. Let us think of them and pray.”
Since Russia invaded its neighbour in February 2022, the pope has repeatedly called for peace, and regularly prays for the people of “martyred” Ukraine.
But he sparked outrage in Kyiv last month after giving an interview in which he urged Ukrainians to “raise the white flag and negotiate”.
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