For months, there has been chatter of Cardinal Zuppi's potential trip to Beijing for the Vatican's peace mission to Ukraine. Now, that trip is officially underway.
For the fourth leg of the mission, Zuppi will travel to China from September 13th to 15th. He was hand-picked by Pope Francis to represent his humanitarian initiatives.
POPE FRANCIS
Cardinal Zuppi's mission is a mission of peace that I assigned to him. And he made a plan to visit Moscow, Kyiv, the United States, and also Beijing. Cardinal Zuppi is a man of great dialogue and universal vision. His background includes his experience of working in Mozambique in the search for peace and that’s why I sent him.
This trip may represent one step further in improving the complicated diplomatic relationship between the Vatican and China. Cardinal Zuppi will be accompanied by an official from the Vatican Secretariat of State for this special mission.
AT