FILE PHOTO: - Pope Francis arrives at the opening of a 3-day Symposium on Vocations in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, on Thursday Feb. 17, 2022. Defense lawyers in the Vatican’s fraud and extortion trial on Friday accused Pope Francis of violating their clients human rights by issuing four secret, executive decrees that gave prosecutors free reign to investigate in ways that deprived the suspects of basic legal guarantees. The lawyers argued that the resulting trial into the Vatican’s bungled 350 million euro investment in a London real estate deal is therefore illegitimate, and they again called for Tribunal President Giuesppe Pignatone to throw out the indictments. Pignatone is set to rule on their motions March 1. (AP File Photo)
Rome, March 20 (AP) Pope Francis has paid a visit to some of the Ukrainian children who escaped the Russian invasion and are currently being treated at the Vatican's pediatric hospital in Rome.
The Vatican says the Bambino Gesu hospital is currently tending to 19 Ukrainian refugees, and that overall some 50 have passed through in recent weeks.
Some were suffering oncological, neurological and other problems before the war and fled in the early days. Others are being treated for wounds incurred as a result of the invasion.
The Vatican says Francis travelled the short distance up the hill to the hospital on Saturday afternoon. He met with all the young patients in their rooms before returning back to the Vatican.
Francis has spoken out about the barbarity of the war and especially the death and injury it has caused Ukrainian children.
