Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, Pope Francis’ almoner who is known as the Pope’s beggar, is in Ukraine for the sixth time. This time also reached there to bring closeness to the Pontiff and help those affected by the cruel war that has ravaged the country since February 2022.
In a video broadcast on social networks this Wednesday, June 28, the Cardinal in an apron can be seen distributing food to the inhabitants of Kherson, the city in southern Ukraine where he arrived on 27 June after traveling 3,125 kilometers by truck from The Vatican.
Krajewski left Rome on 22 June and five days later arrived in Kherson, where the destruction of a hydroelectric dam caused enormous damage in the area.
More than 80 towns and cities were flooded, 20,000 hectares of farmland were destroyed and more than 150 tons of oil spilled after a Russian attack.
Speaking to Vatican News, the pope’s beggar described the situation upon arrival in the Ukrainian city: “It’s deserted, from time to time we heard sirens and when we entered there was shelling, we could see smoke.”
The Cardinal assured that there is not a day that the Pope does not pray for the “martyred” Ukraine and referred to his visit as “an evangelical mission.”
Cardinal Krajewski, a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, brought in the truck various foods and more than 100,000 soups for those affected.
The food comes mostly from Korea and the medicines were donated from the Gemelli Hospital in Rome.
According to a statement published by the Holy See, the Cardinal’s mission is “to be with them, pray with them and also leave them very concrete help, a sign of unity with the Pope who wants to be close to those who suffer.”