Cardinal Zuppi concludes Ukraine mission: ‘Every effort for peace will be made'

Salvatore Cernuzio

Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi returns to Rome today, 16 July, at the conclusion of his second mission to Ukraine, following his visit in 2023. During four days between the Lviv region and Kyiv, he conveyed the closeness and prayers of Pope Leo XIV, who has repeatedly appealed for peace and the protection of human dignity.

The cardinal's final engagements took place on Tuesday afternoon after the Ukrainian Statehood Day ceremony in St Michael's Square, attended by President Volodymyr Zelensky and other civil and religious authorities. Among them was a meeting with Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha.

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During their talks, Minister Sybiha thanked the Holy See for its humanitarian engagement and discussed ongoing peace efforts and humanitarian priorities.

He highlighted the situation of detained Ukrainian civilians, calling for a humanitarian mechanism to facilitate their release, and referred to the need for humanitarian access to the communities of Oleshky and Hola Prystan in the Russian-occupied Kherson region.

The minister also raised the recent attack on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the UNESCO World Heritage Site that will mark its 975th anniversary in August, describing its protection and restoration as a government priority.

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The return of prisoners, the repatriation of Ukrainian children, humanitarian assistance and the protection of civilians also featured in Cardinal Zuppi's meetings with other Ukrainian officials.

The cardinal reiterated that humanitarian action remains at the centre of the Holy See's efforts.

"Even one soldier, one civilian or one child reunited with their family is a step towards peace," he said. "Every possible effort will be made. This is the will of Leo XIV. Humanitarian commitment must stand above political or military considerations."

According to the Italian daily Avvenire, Cardinal Zuppi also met with senior Ukrainian officials responsible for prisoner exchanges and human rights, as well as relatives of military personnel and civilians detained in Russia.

Among the requests presented to the cardinal and to the Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, was support for an "all-for-all" prisoner exchange involving approximately 7,000 Ukrainian prisoners held in Russia and about 4,000 Russian prisoners held in Ukraine.

The meetings also addressed the cases of missing persons, the repatriation of civilians, and the return of Ukrainian children taken across the border, an issue on which the Holy See has been engaged for several years.

Following Cardinal Zuppi's visit to the Zakhid-1 penal colony in the Lviv region, relatives of detainees also expressed the hope that he might be able to visit prisons in Russia.

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