Pope appeals for peace in the Ukraine

Kiev

Pope Francis appealed for peace in the Ukraine during his general audience in St Peter's Square today. He said: “With a worried soul I have been following what is happening in Kiev in these days.”

The Holy Father assured the Ukrainian people of his closeness to them, and prayed for the victims of violence, for their families, and for the injured, calling for “on all parties to cease all violence and to seek harmony and peace in the country.”

Violence erupted on Tuesday in Kiev as police and security forces attempted to clear massive demonstrations against government corruption. More than 24 people are know to have been killed. The Ukraine has been rocked by three months of protests that began in late November after President Viktor Yanukovych turned away from a long-anticipated deal with the European Union in exchange for a $15 billion bailout from Russia.

Source: VIS/BBC