In an unprecedented, hands-on papal gesture, Pope Francis visited the Russian Embassy on Friday to personally “convey his worry for the violence” in Ukraine. Later, Francis told a leading Ukrainian Greek Catholic leader that he would do “everything I can” to help.
Normally, popes receive ambassadors and heads of state at the Vatican, and diplomatic practice would have required the Vatican foreign minister to summon Russia’s envoy. Francis is the leader of the state of the Vatican, and his decision to leave the walled city-state and walk a short distance to the Russian Embassy to the Holy See demonstrated his outrage at Moscow’s invasion and determination to personally beg for a stop to it.
Officials at the Vatican stated that they were unaware of any previous papal initiative of this nature. The Vatican’s spokesperson, Matteo Bruni, confirmed the visit, and the Vatican claimed Francis went to and from the embassy in a tiny white automobile.
Francis has called for talks to resolve the crisis and has encouraged the faithful to fast and pray for peace in Ukraine next Wednesday. But, likely for fear of antagonizing the Russian Orthodox Church, he has abstained from publicly naming Russia.
Just this week, at the close of his Wednesday general audience, Francis avoided identifying Russia while urging political leaders to evaluate their conscience before God and desist from actions that injure humanity and “discredit international law.”
A day later, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, expressed optimism about diplomacy. “There is still time for goodwill, there is still room for negotiation, there is still room for the exercise of wisdom that prevents the dominance of partisan interests, protects the legitimate aspirations of each, and saves the world from the madness and horrors of war,” Parolin said in a statement.
The person who received the phone at the Russian Embassy on Friday stated Ambassador Alexander Avdeev was not there; there was no quick response to an email sent to the embassy seeking comment.
