Vatican News / Benedetta Capelli – Vatican City
To convey the closeness of Pope Leo XIV to Ukraine, especially to those suffering from the dramatic consequences of the war that has now lasted for over four years and eight months. This is the goal of the trip by Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín, the Papal Almoner, who will set off on October 27 and return on October 30. He will be accompanied by Massimo Ralli, Undersecretary of the Dicastery.
The mission aims to give a concrete dimension to the Pope’s commitment to peace. It follows phone calls between Leo XIV and Russian President Vladimir Putin—one of which the Holy Father made even while staying in the hospital—and subsequently with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. These talks aimed to find a solution to the dramatic humanitarian situation in Oleshky, besieged by Russian troops, where the population has been brought to extreme hunger.
The Pope therefore continues to take an interest in the dramatic plight of so many people. For this reason, the Papal Almoner will bring comfort to those in need by visiting selected locations in Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, and Fastiv.
The trip will be marked by brotherhood. Representatives of both the Greek Catholic Church and the Latin Rite Church will take part, jointly engaging in this mission of solidarity.
Collection for Ukraine
Meanwhile, an extraordinary collection for the Ukrainian population is underway in the Vatican. Winter clothing, warm blankets, sleeping bags, canned food, as well as textile items such as towels and bedsheets can be dropped off in the courtyard of the Governorate of Vatican City State until October 24 at 1:00 PM.
This is an opportunity for employees of the Holy See to bring relief to those severely affected by the conflict, especially with the approach of winter.
The Prefect of the Dicastery, Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín, thanked “all those who will choose to join this initiative by expressing our closeness to the suffering through prayer and concrete help,” while also expressing “the hope that the Lord will soon grant us the gift of peace.”
