Pope condemns Iran's use of death penalty against protesters

FILE PHOTO: Pope Francis talks to diplomats during the traditional exchange of the New Year greetings in the Regal Room at the Vatican January 8, 2018. REUTERS/Andrew Medichini/Pool

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Francis condemned Iran's execution of protesters for the first time on Monday in his traditional New Year's address to diplomats, and said the war in Ukraine was "a crime against God and humanity".

The pontiff made his remarks in a speech to diplomats accredited to the Vatican, his overview at the start of the new year which has come to be known informally as his "state of the world" address.