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Shevchuk brings ‘Ukraine’s prayers’ and list of prisoners to Pope Leo
· Confirmed
In Short: Pope Leo XIV spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, urging cooperation between Ukraine and Russia to deliver humanitarian aid and evacuate civilians from Oleshky.
Pope Leo XIV spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday, days after holding a similar conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to EWTN News and OSV News.
During the call, Zelenskyy briefed the pope on Russian strikes against Ukrainian cities and the humanitarian catastrophe in Oleshky, a city in the Kherson region under Russian military occupation since 2022.
The pope expressed deep concern about the humanitarian situation in Oleshky and called for a ceasefire to allow the delivery of food, medical assistance, and the voluntary and safe evacuation of civilians.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, said the telephone conversation with Putin resulted from the pope’s desire for dialogue.
Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church handed the pope a list of prisoners of war and civilians held by Russia during his visit to the Vatican.
Shevchuk expressed particular appreciation for the Holy See’s “humanitarian diplomacy,” aimed at easing the suffering of civilians and securing the release of prisoners.
The pope thanked the bishops, priests, monastics, and faithful of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church for their distinctive witness of faith during the war.
Shevchuk also presented a special Ukrainian stamp depicting Pope Leo XIV, issued as a sign of gratitude to the Holy See for its humanitarian mission.
The pope’s call with Zelenskyy came less than a week after an Oct. 16 call with Putin, while the pontiff was recovering from lung surgery at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.
The Vatican said the conversation centered on the grave situation in Oleshky and the need for humanitarian aid and evacuations.
The pope’s initiative to plead the cause of Oleshky was noted by Cardinal Parolin, who told reporters on Friday that the Holy Father took the initiative to urge a ceasefire.
The Kremlin, however, blamed Ukraine for the situation in Oleshky, with Putin giving the pope a detailed explanation regarding Kyiv’s responsibility for the difficult humanitarian situation there.
Background
Pope Leo XIV spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, urging cooperation between Ukraine and Russia to deliver humanitarian aid and evacuate civilians from Oleshky.
Pope Leo XIV spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday, urging cooperation between Ukraine and Russia to deliver humanitarian aid and evacuate civilians from Oleshky, a city in the Kherson region facing a severe humanitarian crisis.
Vatican News is the official news portal of the Holy See, serving as a source of information about the activities, pronouncements, and events related to the global Catholic Church and the operations of the Holy See.
What's confirmed
- “Finally, the Holy Father reaffirmed the commitment of the Holy See to promoting dialogue and peace,” the statement said.
What's still developing
- Leo XIV agreed, and Zuppi conveyed the pope’s willingness to intervene on the humanitarian issue during his Sept.
- Despite the so-called truce, Russia has continued to conduct attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid, which left 600,000 people without electricity, Major Archbishop Shevchuk wrote.
- “And even as we gratefully acknowledge mediation efforts aimed at ending the war, it is essential to distinguish between restraining an unjust aggressor and coercing the victim,” Major Archbishop Shevchuk wrote.
- Zelenskyy also briefed Pope Leo on reported disruptions to Ukraine’s defense communications, which have strained relations with Washington.
- In those conversations, the Pope appealed for a truce in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, where civilians face a desperate shortage of food, water and medicine.
- Launched under Pope Francis and renewed by Pope Leo XIV, that mission included visits to Kyiv and Moscow last summer by Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations.
- “It is a sign that no one is forgotten. The Lord God remembers everyone. And the Mother Church is working to ensure that all our prisoners of war and illegally detained hostages are released as soon as possible,” he said.
- Throughout the audience, Major Archbishop Shevchuk repeatedly thanked the Pope for his support for Ukraine, so often described by Pope Francis as “martyred”, and for his continuing appeals for an end to the war.
- The Vatican on Friday shared pictures of the pope celebrating the Roman Catholic Mass in the hospital where he is recovering. (EV/Vatican Media/ Abaca/Sipa USA/Sipa via AP Images) "His post-operative recovery allows him to carry out his normal daily activities completely on his own," a medical update signed by his personal physician, Luigi Carbone, and the head of thoracic surgery at Gemelli, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, said.
- Pulmonologist Cedric Rutland joins 'Fox & Friends' to share medical insights on Pope Leo's health following lung cancer surgery.
- The pope was diagnosed with lung cancer Tuesday and underwent a procedure to remove the lower lobe of his right lung.
- “These are horrific photos, but behind them are shattered lives and the truth about this war,” he said, sharing photographs from the playground where the attack occurred, killing among others an 11-year-old girl.
Sources
- EWTN Newslink
- Fox Newslink
- OSV Newslink
- Vatican Newslink
- WarpBeat — background on Shevchuk brings ‘Ukraine’s prayers’ and list of prisoners to Pope Leo link
- WarpBeat — background on Pope Leo XIV Calls for Humanitarian Ceasefire in Ukraine link
- Wikipedia — background on Vatican News link
- EWTN News — video link