Pope's envoy for peace in Ukraine visits Washington this week

The Vatican announced that Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the Pope's envoy for peace in Ukraine, will visit Washington from Monday to Wednesday, following his recent visits to Kyiv and Moscow.

The Vatican stated that the visit of Cardinal Zuppi, who is a member of the Sant'Egidio Catholic Community, considered an unofficial diplomatic channel of the Holy See, "falls within the framework of the mission aimed at promoting peace in Ukraine."

The statement further added that the visit aims to "exchange ideas and opinions on the current tragic situation and support initiatives in the humanitarian field."

The statement did not specify the agenda of Cardinal Zuppi (67 years old) in Washington.

As part of his mission, Cardinal Zuppi visited Kyiv at the beginning of June, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

At the end of June, the Cardinal traveled to Moscow, where he met with the Russian Commissioner for Children's Rights, Anna Kuznetsova, who had previously been issued an international arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court in March on charges of illegally deporting Ukrainian children.

The Italian Cardinal also met with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, during his visit to Moscow.

Pope Francis has repeatedly called for peace in Ukraine and regularly prays for the victims of the ongoing war in the country.



AFP