Pope Francis will welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy back to the Vatican 11 October, four months after their last meeting, the Vatican press office announced.
The pope and the president had met in southern Italy 14 June on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit. Zelenskyy also had met with the pope at the Vatican in May 2023 and, in February 2020, before Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In a brief video clip of the pope’s June meeting with Zelenskyy in southern Italy, the president could be heard telling the pope, “Thank you so much, thank you for your prayers for Ukraine, for Ukrainians, for peace in Ukraine, for Ukrainian children.”
Later, on a post on X, formerly Twitter, Ukraine’s president said he also thanked the pope for “his spiritual closeness to our people, and humanitarian aid for Ukrainians.”