Pope Francis will welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy back to the Vatican tomorrow, four months after their last meeting, the Vatican press office has announced. Source: Catholic Review.
The Pope and the president last met in southern Italy on June 14 on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit. Mr Zelenskyy also met with the Pope at the Vatican in May 2023 and in February 2020, before Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In a brief video clip of their June meeting, Mr Zelenskyy could be heard telling the Pope, “Thank you so much, thank you for your prayers for Ukraine, for Ukrainians, for peace in Ukraine, for Ukrainian children.”
Later, on a post on X, formerly Twitter, he said he also thanked the Pope for “his spiritual closeness to our people, and humanitarian aid for Ukrainians.”
“I informed the Pope about the consequences of Russian aggression, its air terror, and the difficult energy situation. We discussed the Peace Formula, the Holy See’s role in establishing a just and lasting peace, and expectations for the Global Peace Summit,” Mr Zelenskyy said in the post.
“I thanked the Holy See for its participation in the Summit and highlighted its efforts aimed at bringing peace closer, particularly returning Ukrainian children abducted by Russia,” he said.
The two leaders have spoken on the phone at least four times since Russia began its war on Ukraine in February 2022.
At almost every general audience and every public recitation of the Angelus since then, Pope Francis has urged people of goodwill to pray for “beleaguered” Ukraine.
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Pope to welcome Ukrainian president back to Vatican (By CIndy Wooden, CNS via Catholic Review)
