Pope Francis urges peace in Ukraine, warns of dangers of nuclear war in Easter message

Pope Francis on a Sunday delivered an Easter message beckoning all to seek peace in war-torn Ukraine while also making a veiled warning about the existential threat of nuclear war.

“Let us all commit ourselves to imploring peace, from our balconies and in our streets,” the Pope told thousands of attendees at Easter services at the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square. “May the leaders of nations hear people’s plea for peace.”

"We have seen all too much blood, all too much violence,” he added. “Our hearts, too, have been filled with fear and anguish, as so many of our brothers and sisters have had to lock themselves away to be safe from bombing.”

Francis also cautioned about the threat of nuclear war, citing a line from a half-century-old document written by Albert Einstein.

“Shall we put an end to the human race, or shall mankind renounce war?” he asked, quoting Einstein.