Pope Francis received in audience this Saturday the Ukrainian ambassador to the Holy See, Andrii Yurash, at a time when the Vatican is studying a possible trip by the pontiff to kyiv to request an end to the war caused by the Russian invasion.
The Vatican limited itself to confirming the meeting with the diplomat, in a brief statement, without giving details about what was discussed, as it usually does in this type of diplomatic meeting.
Secretary for Relations with States Richard Gallagher, who serves as the Vatican’s foreign minister, recently explained that this meeting was aimed at discussing the possibility of Francis visiting kyiv.
The Argentine pontiff has expressed his concern about the situation in Ukraine, invaded by Russia on February 24, and has asked for peace to be negotiated, even offering himself as a mediator to end the conflict.
During the press conference held on the papal plane on the way back to Canada on July 30, Francis reiterated his desire to go to kyiv and said Vatican diplomacy was making preparations to see if it was possible.
The Pope received on Friday the new head of Foreign Affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Antonij di Volokolamsk, representative of Patriarch Kirill, who has always justified and encouraged the invasion of Ukraine.
Francis and Kirill took a step toward understanding on February 12, 2016 by embracing in Havana, the first affectionate gesture between leaders of the two churches in almost a millennium, since the Great Schism of 1054.
However, the two did not hide their differences over the invasion of Ukraine and, last March, in a distant conversation, Francis condemned the war and said that it is always unjust.
“Wars are always unjust because they are paid for by the people of God. Our hearts cannot stop crying for the children and women killed and for all the victims of war. War is never the right path,” the pope argued in a conversation with the patriarch, a well-known supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Francis, who has been dealing with some knee problems that often force him to use a wheelchair, confirmed an apostolic trip to Kazakhstan between September 13-15 to attend the VIII World Congress of Leaders of World Religions and Traditional.
The two religious leaders could be present at this event, according to some specialized media, although the possibility of a meeting has not yet been confirmed by the Vatican or by Moscow.
In the official agenda of the pontiff in Kazakhstan, a space was reserved, at noon on September 14, for “private meetings with some religious leaders”, but no details were given.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the war that followed have already caused around 17 million people to flee their homes – more than six million internally displaced and more than 10 million to neighboring countries – according to the latest UN data. , which classifies this refugee crisis. as the worst in Europe since the Second World War (1939-1945).
The Russian invasion —justified by Putin with the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia’s security— was condemned by the generality of the international community, which is responding by sending weapons to Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia that affect practically everyone. the sectors. , from banking to energy and sports.
Source: Observadora
