Pope Francis is good at pricking consciences. He does this regarding reconciliation and peace in the world, especially in Eastern Europe. For example, when he sends Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna – a leading figure from the Sant’Egidio Community who is skilled in peaceful conflict resolution – to meet with leaders of major powers. Or Read more
Pope Francis’ recent remark urging Kyiv to show the “courage of the white flag” has drawn criticism from Ukrainian and allied officials. Many perceive the statement as a call for Ukraine to surrender in its conflict with Russia. In an interview recorded last month with Swiss broadcaster RSI, Francis advocated for peace talks brokered by Read more
Russia’s extensive drone attack on Kyiv Nov 25 damaged the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ. Russia launched close to 75 Iranian-made Shahed drones at Ukraine’s capital as Ukrainians marked Holodomor Remembrance Day. The day commemorates the 7 million to 10 million victims of an artificial famine waged by Soviet dictator Read more
Pope Francis has resolutely condemned the use of “conventional weapons” against civilian targets. In a message sent to Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences Cardinal Peter Turkson, the condemnation comes after a Russian drone attack in Lviv, Ukraine, obliterated a Caritas-Spes-owned warehouse containing humanitarian aid. The secretary general of Caritas Internationalis, Alistair Dutton, said the Russian Read more
Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has publicly criticised Pope Francis for his pro-Russian stance. Ukraine’s Eastern Rite Catholic bishops echoed Podolyak’s comments. Podolyak firmly rejected any notion of the Vatican mediating in the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine and hinted at possible Russian influence within the Vatican bank. Podolyak’s criticism Read more
In a bid to quell the controversy that erupted following Pope Francis’ recent remarks praising Russian imperialism, the Vatican has moved to clarify his statements. The pope’s comments were made during a video conference with Russian Catholic youth, where his comments were misconstrued as an endorsement of present-day Russian aggression in Ukraine. Matteo Bruni, the Read more
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. “A group of armed special forces, cloaked in masks and wielding weapons, encircled the Roman Catholic Read more
A delegation of Australian Bishops has travelled to war-torn Ukraine to bring their closeness to the nation’s suffering people. According to the Bishops’ Conference website’s media blog, the delegation from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) made the pastoral visit to several Ukrainian cities on 8-11 August in an expression of solidarity with the country’s Read more
In February, Ruslana Danilkina (pictured), a 19-year-old Ukrainian soldier, came under fire near the front line around Zaporizhzhia in south-eastern Ukraine. Shrapnel tore her left leg off above the knee. She clutched her severed thigh bone and watched medics place her severed leg into the vehicle that took her to a hospital. “I was holding Read more
Destroying grain is a “grave offense to God,” Pope Francis said, appealing to authorities in Russia as “my brothers” and urging them to resume cooperating with a United Nations initiative to guarantee the safe transport of grain out of Ukraine. “Let us not cease to pray for beleaguered Ukraine, where the war is destroying everything, Read more