Pope Francis prays in front of graves of unborn children ahead of All Souls' Day Mass

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis paid his respects on Saturday to the “Garden of Angels,” an area in Rome’s third largest cemetery which houses the graves of stillborn and miscarried children.

Francis celebrated All Souls’ Day Mass at the Laurentino cemetery, on Rome’s southern outskirts.

Ahead of the Mass, he stopped for a silent prayer at the graves of children who were never born, an area guarded by two marble statues of angels.

The pope laid a bouquet of white roses in front of the children’s graves.

Francis previously made a stop there in November 2018, when he celebrated Mass at the Laurentino cemetery for the first time.

During Saturday’s celebration, Francis chose to skip the homily and remained in meditation.

The pontiff has often stressed that there are “no words” for the pain of parents who lose a child.

The “Garden of Angels” also hosts the graves of fetuses who died due to medical procedures, including abortion.

Francis has recently reaffirmed with strong words his traditional views on abortion.

Returning from a trip to Belgium in late September, he called doctors who perform abortions “hitmen.”

Earlier in September, when asked about the upcoming U.S. election, Francis said voters should choose the “lesser evil” when picking between a candidate who wants to deport migrants and one who supports abortion rights — a reference to Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

Pope Francis presides over a ceremony on the occasion of All Souls Day, at the Laurentino cemetery in the outskirts of Rome, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis presides over a ceremony on the occasion of All Souls Day, at the Laurentino cemetery in the outskirts of Rome, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

People pray during a mass with Pope Francis on the occasion of All Souls Day, at the Laurentino cemetery in the outskirts of Rome, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A woman prays during a mass with Pope Francis on the occasion of All Souls Day, at the Laurentino cemetery in the outskirts of Rome, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis presides over a ceremony on the occasion of All Souls Day, at the Laurentino cemetery in the outskirts of Rome, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis presides over a ceremony on the occasion of All Souls Day, at the Laurentino cemetery in the outskirts of Rome, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged its allies to stop “watching” and take steps before North Koreans troops deployed in Russia reach the battlefield.

Zelenskyy raised the prospect of a preemptive Ukrainian strike on camps where the North Korean troops are being trained, and said Kyiv knows their location. But he said Ukraine can’t do it without permission from allies to use Western-made long-range weapons to hit targets deep inside Russia.

“But instead … America is watching, Britain is watching, Germany is watching. Everyone is just waiting for the North Korean military to start attacking Ukrainians as well,” Zelenskyy said in a post late Friday on the Telegram messaging app.

The Biden administration said Thursday that some 8,000 North Korean soldiers are now in Russia’s Kursk region near Ukraine’s border and are preparing to help the Kremlin fight against Ukrainian troops in the coming days.

Western leaders have described the North Korean troop deployment as a significant escalation that could also jolt relations in the Indo-Pacific region, and open the door to technology transfers from Moscow to Pyongyang that could advance the threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile program.

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui met with her Russian counterpart in Moscow in Friday.

Ukrainian leaders have repeatedly said they need permission to use Western weapons to strike arms depots, airfields and military bases far from the border to motivate Russia to seek peace. In response, U.S. defense officials have argued that the missiles are limited in number, and that Ukraine is already using its own long-range drones to hit targets farther into Russia.

Moscow has also consistently signaled that it would view any such strikes as a major escalation. President Vladimir Putin warned on Sept. 12 that Russia would be “at war” with the U.S. and NATO states if they approve them.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

In this photo provided by Ukraine's 24th Mechanised Brigade press service, servicemen of the 24th Mechanised Brigade install anti-tank landmines and non explosive obstacles along the front line near Chasiv Yar town in Donetsk region, Ukraine, Wednesday Oct. 30, 2024. (Oleg Petrasiuk/Ukrainian 24th Mechanised Brigade via AP)

In this image made from video released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, Russian snipers fire towards Ukrainian forces from an undisclosed location. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

In this image made from video released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, Russian soldiers attend combat training for assault units at an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

In this photo provided by Ukraine's 24th Mechanised Brigade press service, a serviceman of the 24th Mechanised Brigade installs landmines and non explosive obstacles along the front line near Chasiv Yar town in Donetsk region, Ukraine, Wednesday Oct. 30, 2024. (Oleg Petrasiuk/Ukrainian 24th Mechanised Brigade via AP)