Selenskyj invitation Pope considers trip to Kiev in trouble
04/02/2022, 12:35 pm
Pope Francis has repeatedly condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine in clear terms and sent Church representatives into the war zone. In his own words, he is considering traveling to the country’s capital, which is under Russian fire.
Pope Francis is considering a trip to Ukraine. On the flight to Malta, a journalist traveling with him asked if he would accept an invitation to visit the Ukrainian capital Kiev. “Yes, that’s on the table,” replied the 85-year-old head of the Catholic Church. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko had already invited the Argentine to the war-torn country.
Pope Francis has condemned the war in Ukraine in numerous public appearances and has already sent representatives of the Catholic Church from the Vatican there. Zelenskyj also asked the Pope to intervene as a mediator in the conflict with Russia. “We would like a mediating role for the Holy See to end human suffering,” Zelenskyy said.
In recent weeks, Francis has talked about the situation in Ukraine with Zelensky, among others, but also with the Patriarch of Moscow, Cyril I. Most Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians. There is a Greek-Catholic minority, mainly in the west of the country.
Francis is currently visiting the Mediterranean island of Malta. The plane with the Vatican delegation and journalists on board landed at Luqa International Airport in the morning. Meetings with Maltese politicians and the local church, as well as a catamaran trip to the island of Gozo, await the 85-year-old head of the Catholic Church this Saturday. The focus of the trip is the theme of migration. On Sunday, the Argentine wants to visit a center that houses about 50 migrants.