Cardinals urge peace in Ukraine, Mideast ahead of conclave

AFP | Vatican City

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See The Catholic cardinals gathered ahead of the conclave to elect a new pope called yesterday for ceasefires and peace negotiations without preconditions in Ukraine and the Middle East.

In a statement, they “noted with regret that there has not been progress in promoting peace in Ukraine, the Middle East and many other parts of the world”. And they offered their “heartfelt appeal to all parties involved to reach as soon as possible a permanent ceasefire and to negotiate, without pre-conditions” a longer-term peace.

The cardinals issued the statement after the last of their preparatory meetings at the Vatican ahead of Wednesday’s conclave to choose a new pope.

The late Pope Francis, who died on April 21 after 12 years as head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, repeatedly called for peace around the world -- including in his final message on Easter Sunday, the day before he died.