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Pope Francis said on Friday, April 15, that he understands why governments are buying weapons to defend themselves in a war-torn world as he prepares to lead the traditional Easter procession on Good Friday.
Pope Francis has previously said that spending money on weapons is a “stain” on humanity.
“I understand those governments that buy weapons, I understand them,” the pope said in an interview with Italian Rai, ahead of a religious ceremony at the Roman Colosseum.
“I do not justify them, but I understand them. “Because we have to defend ourselves.”
Ukrainian and Russian women are expected to carry the cross this year in the Via Crucis procession, which takes place on Good Friday, the day on the Christian calendar when Jesus was crucified.
Earlier this week, Ukraine’s ambassador to the Holy See and the archbishop of Kiev condemned the Vatican’s plan for Ukrainian and Russian women to carry the cross together during the procession. They opposed the design of what they saw as the idea of reconciliation, as Ukraine was devastated by the war started by Russia.
The Vatican has not responded to the criticism or announced any changes to the program.
The procession commemorates the suffering and death of Jesus, from his condemnation to his burial.
The Pope will head it for the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
The reduced version of the procession was held in 2020 and 2021, in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican.
Pope Francis, who has repeatedly called for an end to the Russian occupation, said the whole “world is at war.”
He condemned “this diabolical model of murder from a desire for power, a desire for security, a desire for many things.”
The Pope, 85, visited the prison in Civitavecchia, near Rome, on Thursday to wash the feet of 12 prisoners, in a ritual held annually to commemorate Christ’s last supper with the apostles.
Christian tradition says that Jesus washed the feet of the apostles, before eating, as a sign of humility.
Pope Francis will lead the Easter vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday night, followed by the Easter Mass on Sunday morning, after which he will perform the traditional “Urbi et Orbi” blessing.
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