Vatican baffled that Kyiv and Moscow deny knowledge of Pope's peace mission

On Wednesday 3 April, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, said that Ukraine and Russia have been informed of Pope Francis' peace mission, though the media said they were unaware of its existence.

Source: Parolin's words are quoted by ANSA

Quote: "The [Vatican Ukraine] peace mission will take place. I am surprised that Kyiv and Moscow said they were not aware of it," the Vatican Secretary of State told reporters at an event at Lumsa University in Rome.

A few days ago Francis said that the Vatican is involved in a peace mission aimed at ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, but no details have been disclosed.

After that, an official close to Ukrainian Office of the President told CNN on Monday that Ukraine "has no knowledge" of a peace mission involving the Vatican. The spokesman for the Russian President, Dmitry Peskov, did not confirm the existence of the mission either.

On Wednesday, the Pope received Metropolitan Anthony, head of the department for external church relations of the Russian Orthodox Church, with whom, according to ANSA, he "exchanged gifts and jokes."

The Vatican did not specify whether the visit of Anthony, who is de facto the second in command within the hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church, is connected with the Vatican’s peace mission for the war in Ukraine.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Francis has prayed for peace almost every week. He has repeatedly expressed a desire to mediate between Kyiv and Moscow, but to no avail.

Earlier, the Pope said that he wants to visit, with a peace mission, not only Kyiv but Moscow as well.

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