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During Sunday prayer on Dec. 15, Pope Francis referred to Russia and Ukraine as “brothers,” while reiterating calls for peace in Russia’s war against Ukraine.”They are brothers, cousins. Let them come to an understanding. War is always a defeat. Peace to the whole world,” the pope said during a visit to the French island of Corsica.As a precursor to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin has repeatedly framed its invasion as an effort to reunite the two nations as “one people,” relying on numerous false historical claims. In the lead-up to the invasion, Russian President Vladimir Putin invoked biblical imagery, describing the two countries as a “brotherhood” and comparing their relationship to that of Cain and Abel.The pope has earned a controversial reputation in Ukraine with his earlier remarks that relativized the responsibility of Russia’s war, encouraging Ukrainians to have the “courage” to negotiate for peace.During his Sunday prayer on Dec. 8, Pope Francis called upon politicians and global leaders to bring about a ceasefire across the globe ahead of Christmas. His words came as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is about to enter its third year, with 2024 marking the 10th anniversary of Russia’s illegal occupation of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, as well as the Crimean Peninsula.In October, Pope Francis met President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Vatican to exchange symbolic gifts. Zelensky received a bronze bas-relief with a flower and an inscription, “Peace is a fragile flower,” while Pope Francis received a painting of the Bucha massacre.Chances that the Russian military would halt for Christmas appear slim as they gather speed in eastern Ukraine, ratcheting up their offensive operations before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January 2025.Breakaway churches, spiritual awakenings, prayers in captivity. How war is changing Ukraine’s faithFor a decade, the world has seen how Russia has scarred Ukraine’s landscape with tens of thousands of bombs and missiles. The spiritual wounds — and awakenings — experienced by millions of Ukrainians are less visible. Almost a third of Ukrainians say their religious faith has grown since the war br…
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