On the third day of his mission to war-torn Ukraine, Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi offered a prayer in Kyiv for peace and for those suffering from the conflict. Looking toward the sky from which missiles had once again struck civilian infrastructure overnight, the President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference prayed in Ukrainian to “Almighty God” for Ukraine, asking for His blessing and protection:“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…”Meetings and humanitarian effortsToday, 15 July, marks the third day of Cardinal Zuppi’s visit to Ukraine. He arrived in the country on the evening of 13 July, traveling from the Lviv region before reaching Kyiv yesterday evening.The purpose of his mission 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. That mission supports 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 with 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.The Cardinal’s visit also coincided with celebrations in Kyiv for Ukrainian Statehood Day, which falls on the same day as the commemoration of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus’.