By Salvatore Cernuzio
Looking toward the sky from which missiles had once again struck civilian infrastructure during the night, Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi offered a prayer in Ukrainian from Kyiv to “Almighty God” for “Ukraine,” asking for His blessing and protection:
Meetings and humanitarian efforts
Today, Jul 15, marks the third day of the President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference’s mission to Ukraine. He arrived in the country on the evening of Jul 13, travelling from the Lviv region before reaching Kyiv yesterday evening.
The purpose of his visit is to convey the closeness of Pope Leo XIV and to strengthen contacts and channels of communication established during his first mission in 2023, entrusted to him by Pope Francis, in support of the Holy See’s humanitarian efforts.
Those efforts focus on facilitating exchanges of prisoners of war, securing the return of children whom Ukraine says were forcibly taken to Russia, and repatriating the bodies of those killed in the conflict.
During the afternoon, Cardinal Zuppi is scheduled to meet representatives of associations and local NGOs working in these areas, along with institutional representatives. No official meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled for today. The two met during the Cardinal’s mission three years ago.
Celebrating the Baptism of Kyivan Rus’
In the morning, following Mass at the Apostolic Nunciature where he is staying, celebrated by Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, Cardinal Zuppi took part in celebrations marking the Baptism of Kyivan Rus’.
Observed each year on Jul 15, the anniversary commemorates the Christianization of the country in 988 by Prince Volodymyr the Great, who is venerated as a saint by both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches and whose legacy is associated with the historical and spiritual roots of Eastern Europe.
The day is both a civil and religious observance. It is also officially designated as Ukrainian Statehood Day, following a 2021 decree signed by President Zelenskyy that added it to the national calendar.
Among those attending the ceremony in Kyiv were representatives of various religious communities, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who is making her eleventh visit to Ukraine since the outbreak of the war.
The Cardinal’s prayer
Cardinal Zuppi took part in the ceremony in St Michael’s Square, in front of the Golden-Domed Monastery, which, as the Italian daily Avvenire, accompanying the mission, notes, has served as a memorial to those killed in the war since the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Walking in procession with President Zelenskyy and other participants along the avenue beside the Memory Wall, where photographs of those killed during the war are displayed, the Cardinal carried a bouquet of red roses, which he later laid in memory of those who lost their lives on the battlefield.
Reading from a text written in Ukrainian, the Archbishop of Bologna prayed for a “just peace” for the country, which Pope Francis repeatedly described as “martyred.” He entrusted this intention to God and to the intercession of Saint Volodymyr, noting that the saint shares his name with both the President of Ukraine and the President of Russia.
“May Saint Volodymyr enlighten the minds and hearts of the two heads of State, opening paths of justice and peace,” he prayed.
Meetings in Lviv
The Cardinal’s prayer for peace also framed the programme of his previous day in Ukraine.
His first stop was the Zakhid-1 penal colony in the Lviv region, near the Polish border, where prisoners of war captured on the battlefield are being held.
Later in Lviv, Cardinal Zuppi met Maksym Kozytskyi, head of the regional military administration, who thanked him for the Holy See’s efforts to facilitate the return of prisoners of war and children, as well as to assist in locating those reported missing. Kozytskyi also proposed areas of cooperation between the Lviv region and the institutions of the Holy See and Italy.
The day’s final event was a visit to the Lviv headquarters of the Community of Sant’Egidio. Accompanied by Yuriy Lifanse, head of the Community’s Ukrainian branch, Cardinal Zuppi met members of the local Catholic community, including internally displaced people receiving assistance from Sant’Egidio. He offered words of encouragement and conveyed the closeness of Pope Leo XIV. – Vatican News
