The new phase of the war in Ukraine strengthens the perspective of a mediation action of Francis.
The Vatican has offered to hold some meetings on Vatican territory. And the Russians thanked the Argentine Pope, through the ambassador to the Vatican, Alexander Advedeev, for his efforts “personally” contribute to the release of many Russian and Ukrainian soldiers through prisoner exchanges.
It was also important visit to the pope of French President Emmanuel Macron who emphasized the unique role of the pontiff to start a peace process.
Macron said he asked Jorge Bergoglio to call Putin and US President Joe Biden. A response from Kremlin spokesman Dimitri Peskov came from Moscow. “We are willing to discuss with the Americans, with the French and with the Pope,” he said.
Visit to Zelenskyj suspended
In the Vatican, sources from the Secretariat of State, whose “prime minister” is Cardinal Pietro Parolin, in charge of speeches, talks and confidential meetings, they leaked the news about what has been set aside Pope’s immediate visit to Ukrainian President Zelensky, with whom Francis spoke twice on the phone.
The high road of dialogue with Putin is therefore open in priority.
The war lists have been reported with the data of the soldiers imprisoned in these nine months of conflict regularly provided by the pontiff the Ukrainians and the Russians.
Russian ambassador to the Vatican, Alexander Advedev, said Francis is carrying on a humanitarian mission of considerable importance” which allows restore hundreds of people to their families.”
The reserved “humanitarian context” “never ceased”.
Francisco explained a few days ago that the Vatican has continuously offered to work out and look for a way to penetrate the wall between Moscow and Kiev.
Meetings in the Vatican
In recent days, the Secretary of State, Cardinal Parolin, has renewed the willingness of the Holy See to facilitate “the negotiating process” and has offered the possibility of meetings in the Vatican territory.
Jorge Bergoglio recalled on the return flight from Bahrain, in the Persian Gulf, that he has great esteem for the Russian people and Russian humanism. “Just think of Dostoyevsky inspiring us to think about Christianity to this day.” He also highlighted his “great affection” for the Ukrainian people.
More: he remembered that when he was eleven years old and was an altar boy in a church in his neighborhood, Flores, there was a Ukrainian priest who didn’t have an altar boy and he taught him to serve mass in his language. “I learned songs in Ukrainian”commented.
French President Macron was also helped a lot, who participated in Rome in an international meeting entitled: “The cry for peace”, organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio, the lay organization closest to Francis.
In his speech, Macron said that “this is a strange time to come and talk about peace”. Who was in charge of the diplomacy of his country, but also of the army of a nuclear power in the midst of war. “But I accepted the challenge,” he said.
French president he quoted Kant’s “Perpetual Peace”.. The great German philosopher wrote that “one cannot recognize a peace treaty that brings with it the roots of a new war”.
“That’s why peace is necessarily impure, because it accepts a series of instabilities, discomforts that make this coexistence possible between me and the other”.
Macron gave it to him in his meeting with the Pope the first French edition of Kant’s booksponsoring the request that Francis promote a peace that is “not only just” but also “impure”.
The unique location of the Vatican
The French president’s support for Francis’ mediation is evident the singular situation of the Vatican.
The Holy See is an international entity that does not support the Russian position but that it has not even supplied Ukraine with weaponsincluding war words of war propaganda.
No one like the Pope can speak so believably peace. This is the main resource that the Holy See can affirm and that in the new phase of the war after the withdrawal of the Russians from the city of Cherson opens space for the mediating initiative of Francis.
Vatican correspondent
ap
Source: Clarin
