Pope Francis on Wednesday compared
what is happening in Ukraine following the Russian invasion to
"Operation Reinhardt", the extermination plan carried out by the
Nazis against Polish Jews during World War II.
The implementation of the plan between 1942 and 1943 at the
Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka extermination camps led to the
murder of some 1.7 million Jews and an unknown number of Poles,
Roma and Soviet prisoners of war.
"On Monday the Center for Catholic-Jewish Relations of the
Catholic University of Lublin commemorated the anniversary of
Operation Reinhardt," the pope said during his general audience.
"During the Second World War, this led to the extermination of
almost two million victims, mostly of Jewish origin.
"May the memory of this horrible event arouse resolutions and
actions for peace in all of us.
"History repeats itself. We see now what is happening in
Ukraine.
"Let's pray for peace".
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