In a statement on Saturday, the Italian Bishops’ Conference said they “welcomed as a sign of great trust” Zuppi’s appointment and called on the ecclesial communities in Italy to pray for the peace mission “so that it may bear fruit and help build processes of reconciliation.”
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On May 13, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Pope Francis at the Vatican and asked the pontiff to condemn Russia as the aggressor in the conflict. The pope has so far avoided explicitly demonizing Russia and its leader, Vladimir Putin, in order to allow the possibility for Vatican mediation in the conflict.
Zuppi’s appointment is the latest effort by the pope to promote peace in a war with high stakes for Europe and the West. “Please, let’s not become accustomed to conflict and violence; let’s not grow accustomed to war! And let’s continue to be close to the battered people of Ukraine,” Francis said after his Sunday Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square.
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