Over the weekend, the Vatican Secretary of State closed a pilgrimage to one of the most beloved Catholic shrines for Ukrainians: Berdychiv.
It was a pastoral visit with two goals: to express the Pope's closeness to Ukraine and to promote further political and religious dialogue with authorities.
Cardinal Parolin's did not end with the pilgrimage. He has several meetings scheduled. For example, he visited Odessa, where the Italian government is helping to rebuild a cathedral.
ARCHIVE 2023
ALESSANDRO GIULI
President, MAXXI National Museum (Rome)
Let what we are seeing here become the symbolic image not only of a great wound inflicted on Odessa and Ukraine, but as the symbol of a path of common reconstruction that reframes the identity of Italy, Ukraine and all of Europe.
The Cardinal will meet with Svjatoslav Ševčuk, the leader of the Catholic Church in the country. And an encounter with heads of the Orthodox churches and, above all, with political leaders is still to be confirmed.
President Zelensky has rejected Vatican mediation, but it does not mean that the communication channels are closed. In fact, Pope Francis is helping in the negotiations for a prisoner exchange.
JRB
TR: KG
