Pope Francis has renewed his appeal for peace in Ukraine and has warned the world again of the danger of the conflict escalating into a nuclear war.
The Holy Father recalled the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 and urged Russia, Ukraine and their allies to seek the “way of peace”.
“We should not forget the danger of nuclear war that menaced the world right at that time,” the Pope said.
“Why don’t we learn from history?” the Pontiff continued, adding that “even at that moment, there were conflicts and huge tensions, but the way of peace was chosen”.
In his remarks, the Pope was referring to the stand-off between the United States and the Soviet Union which threatened to turn the Cold War into a nuclear conflict.
It followed an attempt by Russia to deploy nuclear warheads in Communist Cuba that were capable of quickly striking the US.
America, under the leadership of President John F Kennedy, was resolved to use force against the Soviet Union to stop the deployment.
Pope St John XXIII intervened in the crisis on October 24 following an appeal a day earlier by Belgian Dominican Fr Felix Morlion.
The Italian pope used his weekly General Audience to demand that both sides “avoid war and bring peace to humanity”.
His comments were reported in the Soviet newspaper, Pravda, two days later and on October 28 Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev contacted President Kennedy to tell him that the missiles programme was suspended and the weapons were to be taken back to the Soviet Union.
The crisis went on to inspire Pacem in Terris, the 1963 encyclical by Pope St John on peace in the world.
Pope Francis canonised Pope St John in 2014 and the saint’s feast day is celebrated on October 11.
The remarks of Francis came at the end of a Mass for the canonisation of Bishop Giovanni Battista Scalabrini, the founder of the Scalabrinians, and Artemide Zatti, a Salesian brother and pharmacist.
Both dedicated their lives to a Church that was inclusive and without barriers, said Pope Francis, because they cared actively for migrants and for the sick.
“With great vision, Scalabrini looked forward to a world and a Church without barriers, where no one was a foreigner,” the Pope said.
“For his part, the Salesian Brother Artemide Zatti was a living example of gratitude.”
Today in Europe the flight of refugees from war in Ukraine is causing “so much pain”, the Pope noted.
His comments came as fighting in Ukraine intensified following the partial destruction of the Kerch Bridge linking Crimea to the Russian mainland.
In the hours that followed, at least eight people were killed and 24 injured as 75 missiles smashed into Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital.
Missiles were also fired at Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine, northern Kharkiv and Sumy, central Zhytomyr and Vinnytsia, and far-western Ternopil and Lviv.
Ukraine has said the attacks indicate the willingness of Russia to strike civilian targets while western military observers have noted that the escalation increases the likelihood of the eventual use of nuclear weapons.
In London, Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski of the Ukrainian Catholic Diocese of the Holy Family issued pleaded for people of good will to unite their prayers for the people in Ukraine “as they continue to suffer the brutal attacks on their homes, schools, and hospitals”.
“Ukrainians are a strong and brave people literally struggling for their survival,” he said. “I am asking the people of the United Kingdom and of Ireland to pray and to continue to stand with Ukraine as they defend themselves.”
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