![]() ![]() In his OSV News interview, Sobilo said church properties in his eastern Ukrainian Diocese of Kharkiv-Zaporizhzhia had not been damaged by Russia's latest missile strikes, but added that Catholics were fearful about Ukraine's long-planned counteroffensive and "earnestly praying" it would liberate occupied territories. Speaking to journalists April 30 after a three-day visit to Hungary, the pope said the Vatican was currently engaged in a peace "mission," to be made public in due course, although both Moscow and Kyiv denied knowledge of the initiative. Ukraine's prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, also visited Rome April 27, presenting the pope with a photo album depicting Russian war crimes and renewing an invitation for Francis to visit Kyiv. It would be the second Vatican visit by the Ukrainian head of state, who also held talks with Francis in February 2020 and spoke twice by telephone with the pontiff following Russia's February 2022 invasion. ![]() Italy's Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (ANSA) reported May 11 that Zelenskyy would make a brief Rome visit for talks with the pope and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as part of a series of European stopovers. Faced with such a diabolical force, what sort of peace are we talking about, and how can the pope regulate the situation?" Russia is currently bombarding residential areas to inflict as many deaths and injuries as possible. "But while the Vatican shows goodwill, it's also naive. "Of course, there are always grounds for hope - we must hope the president gains the pope's blessing and can use this for positive purposes," said Bishop Stanislav Szyrokoradiuk of Odessa-Simferopol. However, another Ukrainian bishop expressed skepticism about current peace prospects and told OSV News he doubted Vatican initiatives would prove effective. In an OSV News interview, he said the pope had addressed him in Ukrainian and urged continued prayers, especially for women and children caught up in the 15-month war, adding that he was confident Pope Francis would offer sound advice to President Zelenskyy on what was "best for Ukraine, Russia and the world." The bishop spoke after meeting Pope Francis May 10, while representing Ukraine's Catholic Church at an international peace conference in Sicily. ![]() Knowing its plans are not working out, the Russian side may well be ready for some move by the Vatican," he said. "We stand on the edge of a threatened nuclear war, and the pope seeks peace at all costs so millions will not suffer. "President Zelenskyy's visit is clearly connected with the pope's plans for ending this war - we should be hopeful that, as a mystic who knows the situation from various sides, the Holy Father has something to offer," said Auxiliary Bishop Jan Sobilo of Kharkiv-Zaporizhzhia. Ukrainian church leaders have cautiously welcomed news of a Vatican visit by their country's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after a fresh wave of Russian missile attacks in anticipation of a counteroffensive by Kyiv's forces. ![]()
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