Pope Francis said on Wednesday that the threat of war in Ukraine caused excruciating pain in his heart and condemned acts that undermine coexistence among nations and discredit international law.
The United States and its allies accuse Russia of flagrant violations of international law by ordering troops into the separatist region of eastern Ukraine and recognizing the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent republics.
Francis, speaking in a somber tone at the end of his weekly general audience, also urged politicians to carry out a "serious check of conscience before God" about the repercussions of their actions.
He declared Ash Wednesday, on March 2 this year, as the international day of fasting and prayer for peace. He condemns the cruel absence of violence and asks Madonna, the queen of peace, to save the world from the madness of war.
"I feel great pain in my heart because of the deteriorating situation in Ukraine," Francis said, adding that he was sad and worried like many people around the world because peace is being threatened by partisan interests.
"I call on all parties to abstain from any action that could incite more suffering to the population, disrupt coexistence between countries and discredit international law.
The United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and Japan announced plans to target banks and elites. while Germany halted a major gas pipeline project from Russia in one of Europe's worst security crises in decades.
This is the second time Francis has called for an international day of prayer for peace in Ukraine. The first was on January 26.
“Jesus taught us that we must respond to the cruel atrocities of violence with the weapon of God, with prayer and fasting,” Pope Francis said on Wednesday.