Wives of Mariupol defenders to pope: ‘You are our last hope’
By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The wives of two Ukrainian soldiers defending the Mariupol steel mill have met with Pope Francis. They are asking him to intervene to arrange for a third-party evacuation of the troops before Russian soldiers capture or kill them. One of them wept as she told Francis: “You are our last hope. We hope you can save their lives. Please don’t let them die.” Francis has been hobbled by knee trouble that makes walking and standing painful. But he stood up to greet the women and held their hands as they approached him at the end of his weekly Wednesday general audience. It’s a gesture he didn’t extend to others who lined up to see him.
