“The recent news about the war in Ukraine, instead of bringing relief and hope, instead attests to new atrocities, such as the Bucha massacre,” the Pope said during his weekly general audience at the Vatican.
“Ever more horrendous cruelties, also perpetrated against defenseless civilians, women, and children. These are victims whose innocent blood cries out to heaven and begs for mercy,” he said.
Francis, 85, then stood and held up a Ukrainian flag that he said came “from that martyred city Bucha.”
He then folded the flag and kissed it.
The discovery of dozens of bodies in mass graves or littering the streets in Bucha over the weekend has sparked global outrage.
Francis also deplored the “powerlessness of international organizations” in the face of Russian aggression.
“After the Second World War, attempts were made to lay the foundations for a new history of peace, but unfortunately the old history of competing great powers continued,” he said.
“And in the current war in Ukraine, we are witnessing the powerlessness of international organizations”.
The Ukrainian army retook control of the key commuter town outside Kyiv just a few days ago and said it had found the bodies, some with their hands bound behind them after Russian forces pulled out.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called the killings “war crimes” and “genocide” and Western countries have ramped up sanctions against Russia in reaction to the deaths.
But the Kremlin has denied the accusations and claimed the images emerging from Bucha and other towns are fakes produced by Ukrainian forces, despite reports coming from various independent journalists at the scene of the massacre.
China on Wednesday called reports of civilian deaths in the Ukrainian city of Bucha “deeply disturbing” as international condemnation grows over the massacre in the town.
Beijing has throughout refused to condemn Moscow’s invasion, now into its fifth week, as it treads a diplomatic tightrope between backing its close ally and maintaining ties with the West.
But when asked about the reported discovery of dozens of bodies in mass graves or littering the streets in Bucha over the weekend, China said the “reports and images of civilian deaths in Bucha are deeply disturbing.”
Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian also said any “accusations should be based on facts” as he said any humanitarian situation should not be “politicized”.
“Before the investigation results are out, all sides should maintain restraint and avoid baseless accusations,” he told reporters at a regular press briefing.
Zhao added Wednesday that China “pays very close attention to the harm suffered by civilians” and is “willing to continue working with the international community to avoid any civilian harm.”
His statement echoed earlier remarks by China’s ambassador to the UN, Zhang Jun, at a Tuesday meeting of the Security Council.
At the same session Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the killings in the town reclaimed from Russian troops as a “genocide” and urged the UN Security Council to expel Russia as a permanent member.
Zelenskyy called on the 15-member council—which aims to ensure international peace and security—to expel Russia “so it cannot block decisions about its own aggression, its own war.”
“If there is no alternative and no option, then the next option would be to dissolve yourself altogether,” Zelenskyy continued.
China has so far provided humanitarian aid worth around $2.3 million to Ukraine, an amount dwarfed by the contributions of many other countries.