MILAN (CU)_Over the past few weeks, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, UN Secretary-General António Guterres and several other high-profile individuals visited Ukraine, in a show of support to the country in the face of Russia’s aggression. The Head of the Catholic Church Pope Francis has also been invited to visit the Eastern European nation several times, but he says he is not ready to travel to the country, “not yet,” he said.
During an interview with Corriere Della Sera published on Tuesday (3 May), the pontifex said he has offered to travel to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an effort to put an end to the ongoing war in Ukraine. He had made this request via the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, but has yet to hear back.
For decades, Popes have sought to visit Russia with hopes to heal relations with the Russian Orthodox Church, which split with Rome over 1,000 years ago. However, such efforts have proven to be futile. “Of course, it would be necessary for the leader of the Kremlin to make available some window of opportunity,” the Italian newspaper quoted Pope Francis saying. “But we still have not had a response and we are still pushing, even if I fear that Putin cannot and does not want to have this meeting at this moment,” he added.
On a possible visit to the Ukranian capital, the Head of the Vatican City State said “I am not going to Kyiv now. I have to go to Moscow first, I have to meet Putin.” He went on to note that his delegate head of the Department for the Promotion of Human Development, Cardinal Michael Czerny, and his Almoner Cardinal Konrad Krajewski have already been sent to the war-torn nation. “The latter has just visited Kyiv for the fourth time. But I feel that I shouldn’t go there. Not yet,” Pope Francis added.
