Pope Francis might visit the war-torn Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and would expect Russia to cease hostilities for the visit, media reports indicate.
The word comes from Andriy Yurash, the new Ukrainian ambassador to the Holy See, the Vatican’s political designation, who met with Francis on Thursday. The Reuters news agency reported Mr. Yurash’s comments.
Although the pontiff has been invited to Kyiv by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, as well as Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Ukraine’s Byzantine-rite Catholic Church, reports indicated the Vatican has not committed to such a journey.
Francis did tell reporters during a trip to Malta last weekend that a visit to Ukraine was “on the table,” Reuters reported.
Vatican Radio, an official news outlet of the Roman Catholic Church’s world headquarters, noted the meeting between Mr. Yurash and Francis, but said the Holy See “usually does not disclose” what’s discussed at such a personal private audience.
A delegation of high-level religious leaders said they would visit Chernivtsi, Ukraine, on Tuesday to visit refugee camps, show friendship and offer comfort. A “public event” will be held in the city’s main theater where the refugees will gather, which is said to be the first public event permitted there since hostilities began.
The delegation will include Anglican Church Archbishop Rowan Williams, emeritus archbishop of Canterbury; Archbishop Nikitas Lulias, the Greek Orthodox archbishop of Great Britain; Grand Mufti Mustafa Ceric, emeritus grand mufti of Bosnia; Br. Massimo Fusarelli, minister general of the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor; Buddhist Sister Giac Nghiem, abbess of Maison de l’Inspir (of Plum Village); and Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein, founder and executive director of the Elijah Interfaith Institute.
“To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time ever that an interfaith delegation has undertaken a mission of friendship and solidarity, in entering a country at war,” Rabbi Goshen-Gottstein said in a statement. “This is all the more remarkable considering the high level of religious representatives.”
Organizers said the Chernivtsi event will be livestreamed on Tuesday at www.FaithinUkraine.com/Stream.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled the first name of Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
• Mark A. Kellner can be reached at mkellner@washingtontimes.com.
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