“They don’t dream so much mediationswhy the Ukrainian block it is very strong indeed. All Europa, United States. In other words, they have a very large force of their own.” As Pope francesco commented, in an interview with Telemundothe words of the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskywho, after meeting with the Pontiff on May 13, said he did not need mediators with Russia. Bergoglio he revealed that, precisely during that audience in the Vatican, Zelensky “asked me for a big favor: to get busy, to take care of the kids who were taken to Russia. He was very distressed and asked for collaboration to try to get the boys back in Ukraine”. Words that come as Moscow evaluates the Pope’s peace initiative positively.
The reference is to the mission entrusted to the cardinal Matthew Maria Zuppi, president of the Italian Episcopal Conference and archbishop of Bologna. As stated by the Vatican, the Pope gave him “the task of leading a mission, in agreement with the Secretariat of State, which will help ease tensions in the conflict in Ukraine in the hope, never resigned by the Holy Father, that this can start peace paths” . Mission that will start in the next few days. The cardinal himself recalled that the Pope’s involvement, and the consequent hope for peace with regard to the war in Ukraine, came “to tears”.
Bergoglio also specified that the return of the Ukrainian territories “It’s a political issue”, adding that “peace will be achieved the day when they can talk to each other or through others,” he said referring to Putin and Zelensky. The Pope thus once again underlined the purpose of the mission entrusted to Zuppi which is precisely that of putting Ukraine and Russia in communication. From the Kremlin clarify that “any effort in this direction will only make sense if the well-known principled position of the Russia on possible peace negotiations. We recall in this regard that, unlike Russia, which from the outset is ready for an honest and open dialogue on the solution in Ukraine, the regime in Kiev still categorically rejects the very possibility of negotiations with Moscow and relies on war”. Very significant, precisely in this direction, will be the audience that the Pope will soon have, for the presentation of credentials, with the new Russian ambassador to the Holy See, Ivan Soltanovsky.
After the mission entrusted to him by Francis, Cardinal Zuppi recalled “the anguish that weighs upon the soul of the Ukrainian people who yearn for peace and those who mourn someone who never came back, swallowed up by fratricidal killing machine which is war.” The cardinal took up the words spoken by the Pope on his recent trip to Hungary: “Where are the creative peace efforts? Let us allow ourselves to be disturbed by this question – commented Zuppi – so that it does not remain alone ruthless logic of conflict. Pope Francis notes the deterioration of international relations”. And he added: “For us, peace is not just a wish, but it is the very reality of the Church, which germinates from the Eucharist and the Gospel. The Church and Christians believe in peace, we are all called to be peacemakers, even more so in the terrible storm of conflicts. During the Second World War the Church was among the people and on the ground”.