Cardinal Zuppi: We are trying to bring Ukrainian children home

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi. Image Vatican Media

Source: Vatican News

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Russia has forcibly transferred thousands of Ukrainian children to areas under its control, assigning them Russian citizenship, and forcibly adopting them into Russian families. The whereabout of many children from hospitals, care homes and orphanages is unknown.

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, President of the Italian Episcopal Conference, who is papal envoy to Ukraine and Moscow, says a key priority of his work is to return Ukrainian children to their homes.

Speaking with journalists yesterday, Cardinal Zuppi confirmed that he met with the Pope following his recent visits to both Ukraine and Russia to pursue peace and work toward resolving humanitarian issues.

He said: "The children must be able to return to Ukraine. Thus, the next step will be first to check on the children and then to see how to get them back, starting with the most fragile ones."

Cardinal Zuppi visited Ukraine from June 5- 6., during which time he had an intense schedule of meetings with civil and religious authorities. During the visit, the Cardinal made a prayer visit to St Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, and met President Volodymyr Zelensky, and with other political representatives. A visit to the town of Bucha represented a deeply moving moment for the Cardinal as he prayed before the graves of dozens of civilians who had been killed by Russian troops during their withdrawal from the capital in March 2022. Many of them had been tortured and buried in mass graves.

Cardinal Zuppi then engaged in talks with Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, to discuss the issue of Ukrainian children in Russian-occupied territories and the situation of prisoners, including civilians.

He also met with representatives of the Council of Churches and Religious Organizations.

At the conclusion of the mission on 6 June, a Holy See Press Office statement said, "The results of these talks, like those with religious representatives as well as the direct experience of the atrocious suffering of the Ukrainian people as a result of the ongoing war, will be brought to the Holy Father's attention." The mission, the statement continued, "will undoubtedly be useful to assess the next steps to be taken both on a humanitarian level and in the search for paths to a just and lasting peace."

Cardinal Zuppi visited Moscow on 28-30 June, as the Pope's envoy to "identify humanitarian initiatives that could open up paths to achieving peace."

During his stay, Cardinal Zuppi engaged in important meetings, such as those with Yuri Ushakov, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation for Foreign Policy Affairs, and with Maria Lvova-Belova, Children's Rights Commissioner for the President of the Russian Federation.

"During these meetings," the statement read, "the humanitarian aspect of the initiative was strongly emphasized, as well as the urgency to be able to attain that peace that is highly desired."

In a brief visit to the Church of St Nicholas in Tolmachi which is part of the Tretyakov Gallery, Cardinal Zuppi, a communique continued, "paused in prayer before the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir, to whom he entrusted his mission".

The Pope's envoy also had a "fruitful" meeting with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rusia to whom "he conveyed the Holy Father's greetings and with whom he also discussed humanitarian initiatives that could facilitate a peaceful solution."

The Cardinal also met with the Bishops of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Russia, with whom, together with a large group of priests and in the presence of Ambassadors and Representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he presided over a solemn concelebration in the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of the Mother of God, in Moscow.

The official Vatican statement said: "This was an opportunity to convey the Holy Father's closeness, his remembrance of them, and prayers for the Catholic community."

Cardinal Zuppi's comments yesterday came on the sidelines of the presentation of the book 'Il grido della pace' (The cry of peace) by Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Community of Sant'Egidio at its headquarters in Rome.