Pope's call for peace: 'War itself is a crime against humanity'

Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of Catholics and Head of State of the Vatican, has stated that war is a crime against humanity.

The Pope delivered his traditional Sunday prayer from the window of his office overlooking St. Peter's Square.

In his speech following the prayer, Pope Francis said, "Let us not forget those who are experiencing the cruelty of war in many parts of the world, especially in Ukraine, Palestine, and Israel."

"WAR ITSELF IS A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY"

The spiritual leader of Catholics continued, "We shared our wishes for peace at the beginning of the year, but weapons have continued to destroy and kill. We pray that those in power over these conflicts will consider the fact that war sows seeds of death among civilians and destroys cities and infrastructure, and that it is not a way to resolve conflicts. In other words, war itself is a crime against humanity."

Touching upon the necessity of education for peace, the Pope stated, "Let us not forget that war is a crime against humanity in itself. Peoples, the world, need peace. We must provide education for peace. We see that all of humanity does not yet have sufficient education to stop every war."