Pope Francis condemns attacks on Kyiv hospitals, calls for peace
Pope Francis expressed his "pain and outrage" over reports of attacks on medical facilities, including those in Kyiv, the Vatican announced in a Tuesday communiqué. The head of the Church did not directly mention Russia.
3:37 PM EDT, July 9, 2024
In a note delivered to journalists, the Vatican stated: "The Holy Father received with great pain the news of attacks on two medical centers in Kyiv, including Ukraine's largest pediatric hospital, as well as a school in Gaza."
"The Pope expresses his deep outrage over the escalation of violence. Expressing closeness to the innocent victims and the wounded, he desires and prays that concrete paths are quickly identified to end the ongoing conflicts," the Holy See's statement declared.
On Monday in Kyiv, a rocket struck a children's hospital, the country's largest clinic—Ohmatdyt. Two people were killed—a doctor and a visitor to the facility. Another 30 people were injured, including 10 children.
In the capital of Ukraine, another medical facility was damaged—a health center in the Dniprovskyi district. Seven people were killed there, including three children, and 18 were injured.
Caritas in Jerusalem and the local Latin Patriarchate, quoted by the Italian newspaper "Avvenire," reported an attack on the Catholic Holy Family School in Gaza. The exact number of casualties is not known.
