“Grant a just peace. May prisoners return home, may children embrace their families once again, may the missing be found, and may everyone be able to mourn over the body of their loved one who has fallen. Inspire in each one of us the courage and wisdom to become builders of peace...”
Today, 15 July, marks the third day of the President of the Italian Bishops' Conference's mission to Ukraine. He arrived in the country on the evening of 13 July, travelling from the Lviv region before reaching Kyiv yesterday evening.
The purpose of his visit is to convey the closeness of Pope Leo XIV and to strengthen contacts and channels of communication established during his first mission in 2023, entrusted to him by Pope Francis, in support of the Holy See's humanitarian efforts.
Those efforts focus on facilitating exchanges of prisoners of war, securing the return of children whom Ukraine says were forcibly taken to Russia, and repatriating the bodies of those killed in the conflict.
During the afternoon, Cardinal Zuppi is scheduled to meet representatives of associations and local NGOs working in these areas, along with institutional representatives. No official meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled for today. The two met during the Cardinal's mission three years ago.
