“Vatican Peace Mission to End Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Insights from Pope Francis”

2023-04-30 20:40:52

Pope Francis said on Sunday that the Vatican was taking part in a peace mission to try to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, but declined to give further details.

“I am ready to make every effort,” the pope told reporters during the flight home from a three-day visit to Hungary. “There is a task in progress now but it is not yet public. When it is public, I will reveal it.”

Here are the most prominent statements made by the Pope of the Vatican on the mission of peace:

• I think peace is always achieved by opening channels. You can never achieve peace through closure. This is not easy.
• Pope Francis revealed that he had spoken regarding the situation in Ukraine with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and with Archbishop Hilarion, a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in Budapest.
• In these meetings, we talked regarding all things. Everyone is interested in the path to peace.
• Francis has been calling for peace almost weekly since Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine in February 2022 and has repeatedly expressed his desire to play the role of mediator between Kiev and Moscow, and his proposal has not yet resulted in any breakthrough.
• Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal met the Pope at the Vatican on Thursday and said he discussed a “formula for peace” put forward by President Volodymyr Zelensky, adding that he had invited the Pope to Kiev.
• The pope has said before that he would like to visit Kiev as well as Moscow as part of a peace mission.

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