The announcement, made by Belarus’ state news agency Belta, came after negotiations involving Minsk, Kyiv, Washington, and the Vatican.
With Israel's strike in Qatar, and Russian drones in EU airspace being shot down by Poland and Dutch armies, the Pope makes a muted cry.
"Let’s see how they can come to an agreement. Because after all this time, what is the purpose of war?"
This was the first official meeting between the pontiff and a representative of Patriarch Kirill.
The cathedral is considered the mother church for Christians tracing their faith to the Christianization of Rus’ in the Byzantine tradition.
It was the highest-level contact between Russia and the Holy See since the start of Russia's large-scale offensive in Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
President Donald Trump announced on May 19 that Russia-Ukraine negotiations would start immediately, and that the Vatican would be willing to host the meetings.
Direct contact between high-level Vatican and Russian officials has been infrequent in recent years and mostly focused on humanitarian efforts.
Leader of Ukrainian Catholic Church tells Aleteia that his nation finds hope in God and in its own resilience, reflects on changes in international policy.
Fr. Ihor Makar, along with several seminarians, was on his way to celebrate liturgy for the Theophany when terror struck. “I realized that this drone was probably targeting us."
The Vatican has issued decrees recognizing the heroic virtues and martyrdom of several clergy and laymen, including martyrs of Nazism and Communism.
Budapest Memorandum guaranteed Ukraine territorial integrity in exchange for its Soviet-era nuclear weapons.
The Pope's letter came as Russia has warned that the use of US missiles by Ukraine could lead to nuclear war "before Christmas."
Cardinal Zuppi, a key player in Vatican diplomacy in recent years, will meet with authorities to work for peace and the return of prisoners and Ukrainian children.
Pope Francis urged restraint on legal action against people praying in their chosen Churches. Is the Ukrainian Orthodox Church sufficiently separate from Moscow?
Though tortured, Fr. Bohdan Heleta felt the presence of God and the prayers of the faithful around the world.
On June 23, 2024, the last day of his trip to Ukraine, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin met with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
