Pope Francis condemned the massacre in Bucha and raised the Ukrainian flag that was sent to him from the city where hundreds of civilians were shot. The pontiff renewed his call to stop the war.

This was reported by Reuters.

"Recent news from the war in Ukraine instead of relief and hope has brought reports of new atrocities such as the massacre in Bucha," he said at the end of his weekly audience.

He said the brutality has become increasingly horrific, even against civilians, defenseless women and children. "These are the victims whose innocent blood cries out to heaven and begs: "Stop this war!" he said.

"Yesterday it was from Bucha that this flag was brought to me," Francis said as he unfurled it and raised it in front of an audience of thousands, which erupted in applause. The flag looked blackened and stained and had some writing on it.

He then asked a group of refugee children from Ukraine to come up to him and handed each child a chocolate Easter egg.