Pope’s No. 2 phones Russian foreign minister

Without talking about war - preferring, as since the beginning of the conflict, the expression "special military operation" - the foreign minister informed his counterpart of the Holy See about the "causes and goals" of their intervention in Ukraine.

At the end of their meeting, the two sides expressed the hope that the fourth round of talks between Moscow and Kiev will be held as soon as possible, said the statement. And they insisted together on the need to "find an agreement on the key issues underlying the crisis in order to resolve it and end the hostilities."

In a statement issued shortly afterwards, the director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, confirmed that the meeting had taken place.

Cardinal Parolin told the Russian minister about Pope Francis' "deep concern about the ongoing war in Ukraine" and reaffirmed what the Pope said about it during the Angelus on March 6.

The Pope's secretary of state called for an "end to armed attacks," and the "establishment of humanitarian corridors for civilians and rescuers" as well as for "the violence of weapons to be replaced by negotiation."

He also reaffirmed the availability of the Holy See to be "at the service of peace."

On February 28, Cardinal Parolin said it was "never too late" to negotiate. The Holy See "is always ready to help the parties take this path," he said in the Italian press, opening the door to Vatican mediation.

Four days earlier, on February 24, when Russian troops had just launched their offensive in Ukraine, Pope Francis' No. 2 was one of the first Church representatives to speak out.

He declared in a video that “there is still time to negotiate,” while Russian troops had just launched their offensive in Ukraine. Echoing the Pope’s words, he deplored the fact that “the tragic scenarios that everyone feared are unfortunately becoming reality.”