Ukrainian leader, Pope Francis discuss humanitarian situation provoked by war (CNS)
On May 13, Pope Francis and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met for 40 minutes, their first face-to-face meeting since 2020 (two years before the Russian invasion).
Vatican News reported that the Pope assured Zelenskyy of his prayers and that the two “agreed on the ongoing requirement to continue providing humanitarian aid to the population.” The Pope also spoke about “the need for ‘gestures of humanity’ towards the most fragile, the innocent victims of the conflict.”
The Ukrainian president also met with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations. The two discussed the war and the situation of the Catholic Church in Ukraine, according to a Vatican statement.
“I hope this conversation will have historical consequences for Ukraine. In particular, regarding the return of Ukrainian children home,” Zelenskyy tweeted after the meeting.
