WelCom April 2023
‘World War III has been declared,’ Pope Francis said in a wide-ranging conversation with the editors of European Jesuit publications, referring to Russia’s attack against Ukraine. ‘The world is at war,’ he said. ‘For me, today, World War III has been declared. This is something that should give us pause for thought. What is happening to humanity that we have had three world wars in a century?’
Pope Francis spoke about the complex background to the war in Ukraine and the interests involved, including those of arms manufacturers. He denounced ‘the brutality and ferocity’ of the Russian troops and praised the heroism and courage of the Ukrainians. At the same time, he said, ‘we do not see the whole drama behind the war, which was perhaps somehow either provoked or not prevented.’