Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the Pope's special envoy for humanitarian affairs and President of the Italian Bishops' Conference, has concluded a three-day mission to Russia. This marks his third visit to Moscow, following missions in June 2023 and October 2024, and follows a July trip to Ukraine that included visits to Russian POW camps in the Lviv region.
The plight of Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war, alongside the issue of children relocated far from their homes and families, formed the core agenda of the Cardinal's mission. "My meetings with Russian officials are part of the humanitarian mission initially entrusted to me by Pope Francis and subsequently confirmed by Pope Leo XIV," Cardinal Zuppi told the Russian news agency Tass. "I was tasked with supporting efforts by all parties to address issues concerning children, prisoner exchanges, and civilian hardships arising from the conflict."
"We are evaluating all requests coming from both the Ukrainian and Russian sides within the framework of an ongoing dialogue," Zuppi added. "We wish to develop this dialogue further, deeply aware of the suffering caused by the war, and we seek to help bring it to an end."