Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi of Bologna, Italy, began a three-day mission to Moscow to discuss prisoners of war and the plight of Ukrainian children taken from their families to Russia.
“All of this is part of the humanitarian mission entrusted to me initially by Pope Francis and subsequently confirmed by Pope Leo XIV,” said the prelate. “We wish to develop this dialogue further, aware of the suffering caused by the war, and we seek to contribute to bringing it to an end.”
The prelate previously visited Moscow at the behest of Pope Francis in 2023 and 2024.