Papal Envoy for Peace in Ukraine travels to China
Matteo Zuppi (Getty Images)
Papal Envoy for Peace in Ukraine, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, went to Beijing with the diplomatic goal of helping to end Russia's war against Ukraine, according to La Repubblica.
According to reports, the Cardinal is expected to meet with "senior institutional leaders" tomorrow, including Chinese Premier Li Xian.
Before this trip, Vatican diplomacy consulted with the United States, NATO, and Italy.
Zuppi had already visited Kyiv and Moscow in June, and the following month, he traveled to Washington as part of Vatican efforts to facilitate a peaceful agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
Pope Francis' stance and peace initiatives
Pope Francis has taken an openly pro-Russian stance since the beginning of the war in Ukraine and has refused to condemn Moscow. He praises imperialism and encourages Russian youth to be worthy successors of the tsars who waged expansionist wars against their neighbors.
At the same time, Francis continually calls for peace in a "war-torn country," without mentioning that occupiers should leave Ukrainian territory.
In May, Zelenskyy met with Pope Francis and stated that Ukraine does not need intermediaries. Instead, he suggested developing a plan for a just peace in Ukraine.
Following this, Pope Francis entrusted Matteo Zuppi with a peacekeeping mission "to try to help end the war in Ukraine."
