Pope Francis during his Easter Sunday mass on April 4 expressed hope that Armenian prisoners of war being held in Azerbaijan will return safely to their families.
He delivered his Urbi et Orbi message inside St. Peter’s Basilica, just like last year, due to coronavirus safety measures, Vatican News reports.
He prayed, “May the Lord, who is our peace, help us to overcome the mindset of war.”
May prisoners of conflicts be freed in eastern Ukraine and Nagorno-Karabakh, he added, and may the arms race be curbed.
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Rus' said on April 4 that he prays for the reign of peace and harmony in Armenia. In messages sent to the authorities and religious leaders of the country, Kirill spoke about the strength to overcome the hardships and crises of our time and wished Easter joy and God's help everywhere.
