Frail Pope Francis criticises Russia’s war in Ukraine and appeals for peace

Pope Francis prays during a Mass at the Expo Grounds in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP)

Pope Francis has told the Russian Orthodox hierarchy and other faith leaders that religion must never be used to justify the “evil” of war.

He asked at an outdoor Mass in Kazakhstan “how many deaths will it take?” for peace to prevail in Ukraine.