Pope Leo XIV met at the Vatican with Bishop Vitaliy Kryvytskyi of the Kyiv-Zhytomyr Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine, a member of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (AUCCRO).
The head of the Catholic Church assured that he will continue to pray for Ukraine and do everything possible to bring an end to the horrors of war as soon as possible. Bishop Vitaliy Kryvytskyi reported this on Facebook.
“It was a very warm and inspiring meeting with the Holy Father, Leo XIV. We had half an hour to talk about Ukraine, the war, and the path toward a just peace. The Pope knows our situation well, is deeply concerned about it, and is seeking ways to resolve it,” the post reads.
As noted, during the audience Bishop Kryvytskyi reminded the Pope of the invitation to visit Ukraine, which had been sent to him by the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (AUCCRO).
“I thanked the Pope for his prayers — both personal and those he encourages the entire Church of Christ to offer. I also asked him to continue praying for Ukraine and to urge others to do the same, especially on the eve of another difficult winter,” said Bishop Kryvytskyi.
As a token of gratitude, he presented the Pope with an icon created by Ukrainian children — students of the St. Martin de Porres Center in Fastiv: the daughter of a defender of Ukraine and a boy from eastern Ukraine.
“The Pope gladly accepted this gift, along with all the invitations,” Bishop Kryvytskyi noted. “The Pope assured that he will continue to pray and do everything possible to bring the horrors of war to an end as soon as possible,” Bishop Kryvytskyi wrote.
