Departing from protocol, pope goes to Russian embassy over Ukraine

FILE PHOTO: Pope Francis walks past a Pontifical Swiss Guard as he arrives for the weekly general audience at the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, February 23, 2022. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane/File Photo

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis went to the Russian embassy to the Vatican on Friday to relay his concern over Russia's invasion of Ukraine to Moscow's ambassador, in an unprecedented departure from diplomatic protocol.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the pope spent more than half an hour at the embassy.