Pope’s Peace Doves Are Attacked by Seagull and Black Crow

By Daniel Politi

The moment before the attack began

Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images

That can’t be a good sign, right? Children standing alongside Pope Francis released two white doves as a peace gesture shortly after the pontiff had called for peace in Ukraine. As thousands watched the scene from St. Peter’s Square, a seagull and a large black crow promptly swept down and began attacking the doves.

“One dove lost some feathers as it broke free from the gull. But the crow pecked repeatedly at the other dove,” reports the Associated Press. “It was not clear what happened to the doves as they flew off.”

If you want to see all the pictures of the attack in detail, head on over to the Telegraph, which has put them all together in a gallery.