SAN NARCISO, Calif. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- Pope Francis on Sunday appealed to Catholics around the world for their prayers as the situation in the Ukraine worsened, which also triggered an increase in tensions between the United States and Russia as already tenuous relations began unraveling over Putin’s threat of military action in the Crimean Peninsula. Speaking to a crowd of thousands from his apartment window overlooking St. Peter’s Square, the impassioned pontiff shocked his audience with an expletive laden sermon, calling the situation in Ukraine a “f**king tragedy” and urging world leaders to work toward a “peaceful f**king resolution, for f**k’s sake.”

In his traditional weekly appearance, Pope Francis implored all elements of Ukrainian society to set aside their differences and work cooperatively toward a mutually rewarding future. He opened his midday address saying: “I hope that all f**king parts of the f**king country work together to overcome f**king misunderstandings and to f**king build together the f**king future of the nation.”

“I am making a f**king heartfelt appeal to the international community -- support every f**king initiative for dialogue and harmony,” he added.

Ukraine’s embattled new government accused Russia of deploying over 16,000 troops to the region to demand the surrender of Ukrainian forces. Russia denied the allegations, but President Vladimir Putin asserted his country’s right to mobilize military units in an effort to maintain peace and protect the many legitimate Russian interests there, following the ouster of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych a week before. The West’s response to the situation -- censure and threatening sanctions -- has created a political powder keg.

For Pope Francis, however, the prevailing concern is the welfare of the Ukrainian people caught in the “f**king crossfire of imperialists pounding their f**king chests like f**king gorillas.”

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