The last time they spoke on the phone was almost a month ago. It was always Pope Francis who picked up the phone from his office in the Santa Marta residence and wanted to voice his solidarity with the Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyj. As announced by the Ukrainian Ambassador to the Holy See on Twitter and confirmed by the Vatican press office, a new phone call between Bergoglio and the Ukrainian leader took place yesterday morning, this time to update on the situation in the country and to reassure “For the end of the war and do everything possible”.
In fact, since the first days of the conflict, last February 26, apart from the appeals that had hitherto fallen on deaf ears, Francis had surprisingly turned up at the door of the Russian ambassador to the Holy See. Alexander Avdeev to ask to stop the attack. From that moment on, the Pope himself and Vatican diplomacy have declared on various public occasions that they are “ready to do whatever it takes to guarantee peace”, that they are “available” to mediate between Ukraine and Russia . Availability, as reported by Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, who however found no response from Moscow, which took note of the proposal but never responded. On the other hand, President Zelenskyy, who instead told the Pope in the phone call yesterday morning that “the mediating role of the Holy See in ending human suffering would be welcomed,” disagrees. But the Ukrainian leader apparently added a request, as the Ukrainian ambassador to the Vatican had already done: “His Holiness is the most awaited guest here, our people have become an army.”
After the Mayor of Kyiv’s official invitation to the Pope in a letter dated March 8 to ask, albeit informally, for a visit to the tormented country, it is now the President himself, hoping that the presence of the May the Holy Father end “the madness of war in these devastated areas. Zelensky told Bergoglio about the difficult humanitarian crisis and the “blockade of rescue corridors by Russian forces” and asked the Pope, who has already sent two cardinals there, to reach them personally to clarify the situation. An invitation that, it is whispered in the rooms of the Oltretevere, Pope Francis can hardly accept in the current situation of the ongoing bombing raids on the country: on the one hand for reasons of personal security, but also because of the risk of a diplomatic incident with the Russian Orthodox Church, with which relations appear to have been restored, are imminent. Indeed, a visit by Bergoglio to Ukraine could be read as a political stance. And it would be a contradiction, also because less than a week ago Francis said to the Russian Patriarch Kirill that the Church “must not use the language of politics, but that of Jesus”.
And then there is another aspect: to reach the heart of the country, Kyiv, one would have to negotiate a truce of a few days with Russia, triggering a diplomatic mechanism that could be counterproductive to any requests from Moscow. “It is clear that a visit by the Pope to Ukraine explains a diplomat from the Holy See to the Giornale does not necessarily have to have a political value: the Holy Father would meet the wounded, pray with them and show his closeness. However, this possibility is not currently being discussed. If it comes about, it is clear that a lot of work has to be done at the diplomatic level and it will take some time ».
Meanwhile, the Pope incessantly asks all the faithful to pray: on Friday, March 25, together with all the bishops of the world, he will consecrate to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, at the request of the Bishops’ Conference of the bombed country of Russia and Ukraine. Not only Moscow, as Our Lady would have asked during the Fatima apparitions, but also Kyiv, to send a message to both peoples so that they find brotherhood and do not give in to hatred.