Junno Arocho Esteves

Jesus brings peace to today's shattered world through meekness and not through an "armed peace" that seeks to subjugate others, Pope Francis said.

Russian forces in Ukraine attacked a Caritas office in Mariupol and a Catholic seminary in a small village north of Kyiv, prompting renewed calls for an end to the war and to the targeting of innocent civilians.

Pope Francis met with the leaders of the Spanish bishops' conference and was briefed on the independent commission established by the bishops to investigate clerical sexual abuse in the country.

Pope Francis once again pleaded for an end to the bloodshed and violence in Ukraine after images of innocent civilians apparently executed in Bucha sparked outrage and horror around the world.

As Russia's violent monthlong invasion continued to devastate Ukraine, Pope Francis laid the fates of both countries at the feet of Mary in the hopes that peace would finally reign.

As Russian bombardments continue to decimate Ukraine, Pope Francis prayed that God would free the world from war and the need to self-destruct.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is not just a tragic conflict between two nations, but the center of a spiritual battle wrought by the forces of evil that have pitted brother against brother, said the apostolic nuncio to Ukraine.

Continuing the mission entrusted to him by Pope Francis, Cardinal Michael Czerny visited Slovakia and a Ukrainian border town to convey the pope's closeness to victims of Russia's war against Ukraine.

Asking God to forgive all people tempted by violence, Pope Francis prayed for an end to the war in Ukraine and the fratricidal killing of both combatants and civilians caught in the crossfire.

Financial and judicial reforms are meant not only to bring the Vatican up to date with international standards of transparency but also to make the church's structure reflect "an increasingly evangelical style," Pope Francis said.

For Daróczi Gábor, mayor since 2010 of the sleepy Hungarian town of Barabás, making daily visits to the border with Ukraine was the last thing he thought he would have to do during his tenure.

Two cardinals arrived at separate destinations on one mission entrusted to them by Pope Francis: to bring relief, hope and encouragement to suffering Ukrainians.

As the Russian military continues to bombard Ukraine, the Vatican is mobilizing efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to those suffering.

 Temptation's seductive proposals of happiness and freedom can lead one to being enslaved by the desire to possess material things and other people, Pope Francis said.

Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halych called the attack on Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant by Russian forces "an irreversible attack on God's creation."

Catholic and Orthodox leaders in Europe have appealed to Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, urging him to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin to put an end to the bloodshed in Ukraine.

Coexistence between older and younger generations can bring about a better appreciation for life that is often lost in today's fast-paced society, Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis approved an amended law that grants new fathers employed at the Vatican up to three days of paid paternity leave, the Vatican said.

Pope Francis' April visit to Malta, while brief, will include stops at three cities and an island, as well as meetings with authorities, local Catholics and migrants.

As the threat of war loomed over the world, Pope Francis called on people to pray and fast for peace in Ukraine on Ash Wednesday.