Pope prays for end to ‘sacrilegious’ war, refugee welcome

By NICOLE WINFIELD and LUIGI NAVARRA
Associated Press

VALLETTA, Malta (AP) — Pope Francis is praying for an end to the “sacrilegious” war in Ukraine and for the world to show compassion to refugees. He made the comment as he concluded a two-day visit to Malta that was dominated by his concern for refugees and the devastation unleashed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Though short, the trip has been particularly taxing for the 85-year-old pontiff, who is suffering from painful strained right knee ligaments. He struggled repeatedly Sunday to get out of his chair and his limping gait from sciatica was so pronounced that he frequently had to grab the arm of an aide. His Mass in Valletta, the capital of Malta, drew 20,000 people, some of them waiving Ukrainian flags.