President of the Italian Bishops'
Conference and archbishop of Bologna Cardinal Matteo Zuppi on
Monday began a two-day mission to Kyiv in order "to listen in
depth to the Ukrainian authorities about possible ways to
achieve a just peace and support gestures of humanity that will
help ease tensions", according to a statement from the Holy See.
Cardinal Zuppi will be in the Ukrainian capital as "envoy of the
Holy Father Francis", the statement adds.
On May 20 Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said that the pope had
entrusted Cardinal Zuppi with leading a mission, in agreement
with the Secretariat of State, that might "contribute to an
easing of tensions in the Ukraine conflict, in the hope that
this might initiate paths of peace, a hope never abandoned by
the Holy Father".
The announcement came after the pope announced in April a secret
Vatican peace mission on Ukraine, knowledge of which Kyiv and
Moscow both subsequently denied.
During a visit to Italy and the Vatican in mid-May Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelensky said after meeting Francis that
"with all respect for His Holiness, we do not need mediators, we
need a just peace".
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