(ZENIT News / Rome, 05.12.2025).- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has extended an invitation to Pope Leo XIV to visit war-torn Ukraine, voicing hope that such a gesture would bring «real hope» to a people long battered by conflict.
The announcement followed a telephone conversation between the two leaders on May 12, their first since the former Bishop of Chiclayo, Robert Prevost, was elected Supreme Pontiff just days earlier. Zelenskyy described the exchange as «warm and truly substantial,» signaling a potentially significant thaw in the Holy See’s active role in the conflict.
The Ukrainian president expressed gratitude for the Pope’s long-standing moral support for Ukraine and highlighted their discussion of a range of humanitarian concerns—chief among them, the plight of thousands of Ukrainian children forcibly deported to Russia. Zelenskyy said Ukraine is counting on the Vatican’s help to reunite these children with their families, underscoring the deeply personal dimension of a war that has torn communities apart and displaced generations.
The very day before, on May 11, Pope Leo XIV—speaking to a crowd in St. Peter’s Square—renewed the Vatican’s appeal for peace. “May everything possible be done to achieve a true, just and lasting peace as soon as possible,” he urged. He also called for the release of prisoners and the return of deported children, subtly echoing the themes that would dominate his conversation with Zelenskyy.
Pope Leo’s remarks, though measured, revealed a heart engaged with the suffering of Ukraine. Yet his connection to the country runs deeper than recent diplomatic briefings. In 2022, while still Bishop Prevost in Peru, he condemned Russia’s invasion as a form of “imperialist aggression” in a rare interview with a local Latin American news outlet. It was a strikingly candid statement at a time when many ecclesiastical figures were cautious in their language.
That clarity has not been forgotten in Kyiv. Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, recalled those early remarks with admiration. “As a bishop in Peru, he made a very clear declaration, calling Russia the aggressor and affirming Ukraine’s right to defend itself,” Shevchuk said. “He listened to the voice of our Church, not foreign media spin, and that made all the difference.”
Now, with Pope Leo XIV at the helm of the Catholic Church, Shevchuk is hopeful that the Vatican’s engagement will deepen. He envisions a relationship shaped not by distant neutrality, but by empathy born from listening—to victims, not just diplomats. “We believe the Pope will hear the voice of Ukraine’s Church,” Shevchuk stated, “and that will guide his actions and words regarding our nation.”
In his message on X (formerly Twitter), Zelenskyy also revealed a possible diplomatic breakthrough: an agreement with Ukraine’s international partners to launch an immediate, unconditional ceasefire lasting at least 30 days. The initiative, he said, reflects Ukraine’s continued openness to negotiations “in any format, including direct talks.” Whether Moscow will respond in kind remains uncertain, but Kyiv has put the offer on the table—and turned to the Vatican to help mediate where possible.
A papal visit to Ukraine would be historic. No Pope has ever set foot on Ukrainian soil during wartime, and such a trip would require unprecedented security measures and delicate diplomatic choreography. Yet its symbolic power could be immense: a visible expression of solidarity, a bridge between East and West, and a reaffirmation of the Church’s commitment to justice and human dignity in the face of brute violence.
No date has yet been set, but both leaders reportedly agreed to maintain contact and plan a face-to-face meeting in the near future. Whether in Rome, Kyiv, or elsewhere, that meeting may offer new momentum in a conflict too often defined by stalemate and suffering.
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