Pope Francis to receive Ukraine’s prime minister on Thursday

 

Pope Francis attended a Vatican screening of the 2022 documentary “Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” on Feb. 24, 2023. / Vatican Media

Rome Newsroom, Apr 24, 2023 / 09:30 am (CNA).

Pope Francis will receive the prime minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, at the Vatican on Thursday morning.

The two last met at the Vatican in March 2021 amid clashes between Ukraine and Russia in the Donbas region. Shmyhal has been Ukraine’s prime minister since March 2020.

According to the pope’s schedule for April 27, he will receive the prime minister at 9 a.m.

Francis has been outspoken in his support for Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country on Feb. 24, 2022.

He frequently speaks of the “martyred” Ukrainian people and implores for peace between the two nations. In March 2022, he consecrated Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The pope also came under criticism early last year for not directly naming Russian President Vladimir Putin as the aggressor in the war.

In October 2022, he made a direct appeal to the Russian president for an immediate cease-fire, imploring him to end the “spiral of violence and death” in Ukraine.

The appeal marked a break from Francis’ typical Sunday routine of reflecting on the day’s Gospel.

Pope Francis underlined that he chose to devote his entire reflection to Ukraine because the course of the war “has become so serious, devastating, and threatening that it has caused great concern.”

The pope has also indicated his willingness to help negotiate peace between the two countries.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Pope Francis has had several phone calls with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.


If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!

Click here for more information on donating to CWR. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.


About Catholic News Agency 10092 Articles
Catholic News Agency (www.catholicnewsagency.com)

1 Comment

  1. Peace and nonviolence are important for humankind worldwide. “What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?” – Mahatma Gandhi

1 Trackback / Pingback

  1. Pope Francis to receive Ukraine’s prime minister on Thursday – Via Nova

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

All comments posted at Catholic World Report are moderated. While vigorous debate is welcome and encouraged, please note that in the interest of maintaining a civilized and helpful level of discussion, comments containing obscene language or personal attacks—or those that are deemed by the editors to be needlessly combative or inflammatory—will not be published. Thank you.


*