POPE FRANCIS PLANS TO VISIT UKRAINE PRIOR TO SEPTEMBER VISIT TO KAZAKHSTAN
Ukraine will welcome the pope with joy before his visit to Kazakhstan. This was reported on Saturday, 6 August, by Ukraine's ambassador to the Holy See, Andrei Yurash, after an audience in the Vatican. His meeting with the Roman pope was devoted to plans for a trip to Kiev.
After the audience with the pope, Ambassador Andrei Yurash wrote that he heard from him: "I am very close to Ukraine and I wish to express this closeness by my visit."
The diplomat added: "For many years, and especially since the start of the war, Ukraine has awaited the Roman pope, and I will be happy to welcome him before his trip to Kazakhstan." Yurash did not provide other details.
We recall that the Vatican announced Francis' visit to the capital of Kazakhstan, Nur Sultan, on 13 to 15 September, on the occasion of the congress of religious leaders from the whole world. It is likely that the pope will meet there with Patriarch Kirill. If such a meeting occurs, it will not have an official character but a private one. (tr. by PDS, posted 6 August 2022)
UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR ACKNOWLEDGED THE POSSIBILITY OF ROMAN POPE'S VISITING COUNTRY BEFORE KAZAKHSTAN
The Ukrainian ambassador to the Holy See, Andrei Yurash, said that the head of the Roman Catholic Church confirmed his desire to visit the country.
"Ukraine has awaited the Roman pope for many years, and especially since the start of the war, and it will be happy to welcome the pontiff before his trip to Kazakhstan," he wrote on Saturday on Twitter, after a meeting with the head of the Roman Catholic Church. Yurash said that Francis confirmed his desire to visit the country.
The Roman pope has frequently said previously that he would like to visit Ukraine, including during his apostolic visit to Canada.
The Vatican did not rule out that Francis could go to Ukraine in August, but it noted that a likely visit would depend, among other things, on how the 85-year-old head of the Roman Catholic Church feels after his trip to Canada. At the same time, the chairman of the World Union of Old Believers, Leonid Sevastianov, previously told TASS, citing his personal conversation with the pontiff, that Francis is not yet planning to go to Kiev, since he wants to visit Moscow first, where it is proposed to postpone the trip until next year.
The Roman pope will visit Kazakhstan on 13 to 15 September to participate in the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. On Friday he received in an audience the head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow patriarchate, Metropolitan of Volokolamsk Antony.
In June, the head of the Roman Catholic Church stated that he was hoping to meet Patriarch of Moscow and all-Rus Kirill in Kazakhstan. It was suggested that a meeting which was being prepared, but which was postponed in light of events in Ukraine, could occur in Nur Sultan. . . . (tr. by PDS, posted 6 August 2022)
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