Head of the Catholic Church slams Russia’s battle in Ukraine and Iran’s remedy of protesters.

In his yearly deal with to diplomats, Pope Francis has denounced Russia’s battle in Ukraine, Iran’s remedy of protesters and the damaging of presidency buildings in Brazil by followers of the nation’s far-right ex-president.

The speech on Monday to ambassadors accredited to the Vatican is thought informally because the pope’s “state of the world” deal with. Sometimes, it outlines the areas of biggest concern for the Holy See.

Listed here are some key remarks from the pinnacle of the Catholic Church:

Ukraine: Any act of battle ‘is against the law in opposition to God and humanity’

• The pope denounced the “wake of demise and destruction” attributable to Russia’s nearly-year-long offensive in Ukraine, describing the battle as “against the law in opposition to God and humanity”.
• He mentioned assaults on civilian infrastructure have been inflicting deaths “not solely from gunfire and acts of violence but additionally from starvation and freezing chilly.”
• “Each act of battle directed to the indiscriminate destruction of entire cities or huge areas with their inhabitants is against the law in opposition to God and humanity which deserves agency and unequivocal condemnation,” Francis mentioned.
• The pope additionally warned of a rising nuclear menace which evoked reminiscences of the Cuban missile disaster in 1962.
• Francis mentioned the world “as soon as extra feels worry and anguish” and known as for a complete ban on nuclear weapons.

Iran: ‘The demise penalty can’t be employed’

• Francis condemned Tehran’s use of the demise penalty in opposition to demonstrators who’re demanding larger freedoms for ladies.
• The remarks have been his strongest but on the nationwide protests over the demise of Mahsa Amini in police custody which have gripped Iran since mid-September.
• “The demise penalty can’t be employed for a purported state justice, because it doesn’t represent a deterrent nor render justice to victims, however solely fuels the thirst for vengeance,” he mentioned.
• A minimum of 4 folks have been executed in Iran for the reason that demonstrations over Amini’s demise started.
• Francis additionally known as for a world finish to capital punishment. He described the demise penalty as “at all times inadmissible because it assaults the inviolability and the dignity of the individual”.

Girls’s rights: ‘They’re subjected to violence and abuse’

• In a broader touch upon girls’s rights globally, the pope mentioned girls in lots of international locations are nonetheless handled as “second-class residents”.
• “They’re subjected to violence and abuse, and are denied the chance to check, work, make use of their skills, and have entry to well being care and even to meals,” Francis mentioned.
• The touch upon schooling might consult with the Afghan Taliban’s latest transfer in opposition to girls who wish to research on the college degree.

The Americas: ‘Heightened political and social polarisation’

• Francis expressed alarm over a “weakening of democracy” within the Americas, citing the storming of presidency buildings in Brazil on Sunday by supporters of former populist chief Jair Bolsonaro.
• The spectacle was proof of the “heightened political and social polarisation” afflicting varied areas of the Americas, he mentioned.
• He mentioned there have been a number of international locations the place “political crises are laden with tensions and types of violence that exacerbate social conflicts”.
• “I’m considering of those previous couple of hours in Brazil,” the pope mentioned, in a line that was not included within the pre-released textual content of his speech.
• Francis additionally cited Peru, which has not too long ago been gripped by lethal nationwide protests, and a “worrying scenario” in Haiti, the place gang violence is frequent.
• “There’s a fixed want to beat partisan methods of considering and to work for the promotion of the widespread good,” he mentioned.