Pope Francis meets Zelensky on 11th October

Pope Francis meets Zelensky VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit Oct. 11, when the two leaders are expected to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and efforts at peace-making in bordering, war-torn Syria.

Pope Francis meets Zelensky – Private meet

They had a private audience in southern Italy June 14 as the pope was returning to Rome from the Group of Seven summit. Zelensky has made visits with the pope at the Vatican twice before as well, in May 2023 and, notably for his anti-corruption efforts, in February 2020, months just before Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine.

Zelensky asked Pope Francis to “condemn Russian crimes in Ukraine, media pic.twitter.com/hY45WLtsTo

— S p r i n t e r (@SprinterFamily) May 13, 2023

A brief video clip showed the pope and Zelensky speaking to each other in what appeared to be an animated manner at the Southern Italy meeting and ended with the president saying,

“Thank you very much, thank you for your prayers for Ukraine, for Ukrainians, peace in Ukraine, Ukrainian children.

Another post on X — previously known as Twitter— revealed that the Ukrainian president had also thanked the pope “for being spiritually close to our people and for humanitarian assistance for Ukraine.

Pope Francis meets Zelensky- Russian injustice and aggression!!

I suggested the Pope to tell a story about Russian aggression, fascist aviation terror, and issues around energy. The June post says, “We talked about the Peace Formula, how the Vatican is to aid in implementing a just and lasting peace, and what’s next for the Global Peace Summit.

🇻🇦🇺🇦 – Pope to meet Zelensky on Friday – Vatican

Ukraine's de facto leader Vladimir Zelensky will also meet Italian PM Giorgia Meloni while in Rome after visiting Pope Francis at the vatican on Friday morning.

The pair met this summer on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Rome,… pic.twitter.com/DSR6IIolnA

— IL Libanese (@Dal_Libano) October 9, 2024

The president’s office said the Holy See participated in the Summit was thanked for its efforts to bring peace closer to Ukraine, including the return of Ukrainians abducted by Russia.

The two had talked at least four times by phone since Russia launched an all-out war on Ukraine in February 2022. Pope Francis has appealed to men and women of good will, from that time on at nearly every general audience or public recitation of the Angelus, to pray for “the tormented land of Ukraine”–to no less than some effect.

Pope Francis meets Zelensky – Russian war crimes

In early 2023, Pope Francis assigned Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna, who is president of the Italian bishops’ conference, to be his envoy for peace in Ukraine and talk about war with leaders in Washington and Beijing to get Russia & Ukraine on speaking terms. The cardinal is focused to facilitate the exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine. Also working to pave a way for the children who have been forcibly deported from Ukraine back to Russia.