In an interview with Italian media, Vatican Secretary of State Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin defended Pope Francis’ recent controversial remarks suggesting that Ukraine step back and be open to negotiations in its ongoing war with Russia.
Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Knights of Columbus Begin a Novena for Peace in Ukraine
The Knights of Columbus are starting a novena for peace and healing in Ukraine Feb. 15 that will conclude Feb. 23, the day before the two-year anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Pope Condemns Attacks on Civilian Targets After Caritas Warehouse Destroyed in Ukraine
Pope Francis has condemned the routine use of “conventional weapons” against civilian targets in a message to Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson, sent the day after a warehouse in Ukraine containing 300 tons of humanitarian aid was destroyed in a Russian drone attack.
In Poland, Care for Ukraine Refugees Shifts From Immediate to Long-Term Needs
On March 9, 2022, Valentina Polischak fled Huliaipole, Ukraine. It was four days after Russian soldiers had invaded her small town in the southern part of the country, about 90 miles northwest of Mariupol, and “shot all of the cars and homes,” leaving it without running water or electricity.
Mercenary leader’s death stirs Catholic reflections in Russia and Ukraine
A Ukrainian Catholic bishop has urged Russians to learn lessons from the fate of mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, and choose “true democracy” rather than “an unstable dictatorship.”
Russian Occupiers Seize Roman Catholic Church in Skadovsk in Eastern Ukraine
Russian occupiers launched an attack Aug. 22 on St. Teresa of the Child of Jesus Roman Catholic Church in the town of Skadovsk, located in the Kherson region in eastern Ukraine, Bishop Stanislav Szyrokoradiuk of Odessa-Simferopol confirmed on Facebook.
Pope Meets WYD Pilgrims From Ukraine, Hears Their Stories
Fifteen World Youth Day pilgrims from Ukraine, most of whom had lost a father or other close relative in the war, had a private meeting with Pope Francis Aug. 3.
Ukraine Orthodox Priests Call For Break With Moscow After Cathedral Attack
Priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church have called for breaking ties with the Russian Orthodox Church, following a Russian attack on Odesa that destroyed a historic cathedral while killing two and injuring at least 22, including four children.
Biden, Papal Envoy Meet for Two Hours on Ukraine, Focus on Humanitarian Aid
During a meeting with Pope Francis’s special envoy for Ukraine on Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden shared his wishes for the pontiff’s “continued ministry and global leadership,” according to a brief White House statement, but the two men apparently did not identify any specific new pathways to peace.
Pope’s Ukraine Envoy To Meet Biden In Wake of Cluster Bombs Decision
Italian Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, Pope Francis’s personal envoy for the Ukraine-Russia war, will meet with President Joe Biden on July 18 as part of his current trip to Washington to promote peace and discuss solutions to the conflict, the White House has announced.