The head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, stated that despite the Holy See’s continuous appeals for peace, the prospect of the Vatican acting as a direct mediator in the war between Ukraine and Russia currently appears unlikely, reports Baltimore Chronicle with reference to Crux.
In a conversation with journalists, the pontiff drew a clear line between the Holy See’s voice calling for an end to the war and the role of an active mediator in negotiations. According to him, the latter is far less realistic at this time.
He emphasized that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Vatican has made significant efforts to maintain neutrality. Pope Leo XIV admitted that some of his statements could have been interpreted differently but underlined that the Holy See has deliberately avoided siding with either party.
According to the pontiff, even when proposals were raised to host dialogue between Kyiv and Moscow on Vatican territory or in another church setting, he was fully aware of the possible consequences. He stressed that the moment for true mediation has not yet come, as strong external pressure from various actors is needed to push both sides to declare: “Enough, let us seek another way to resolve our disputes.”
Despite the challenging circumstances, the Pope urged people not to lose hope. He said he continues to place great faith in human nature, noting the existence of both a bright and dark side. In his words, each camp has good as well as questionable motives, but it remains essential to encourage humanity to strive for higher spiritual values.
Earlier we wrote that Zelensky meets Keith Kellogg in Kyiv: weapons, sanctions, and UN General Assembly preparations.
