The Pope is well aware of the dramatic situation on our eastern borders, so the meeting of the two heads of Churches may take place after Easter, but no final decision has been made yet.
According to the newly appointed Ukrainian ambassador to the Vatican, Andriy Yurash, the Pope, who has recently paid attention to the problems of Ukraine, is willing to meet with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, to discuss issues of peace in Ukraine. The diplomat shared this opinion in an interview with Glavkom.
"All communications that he conducts take place with a single goal: to join, to do everything possible to implement the basic value of a person – peace. I have no doubt about it. You can recall Putin's call to the pope on his birthday. The Pope had a meeting with Metropolitan Hilarion, and this is actually the second most influential person in the Russian Orthodox Church. He uses all these communications to draw attention to the issue of peace. Before meeting Hilarion, the Pope mentioned Ukraine in his prayer Angelus Domini", the diplomat explained.
According to Andriy Yurash, the Pope understands the dramatic situation unfolding on the eastern borders of Ukraine and the true role that Russia plays in initiating and maintaining this conflict.
When asked when and where the Pope's meeting with the Moscow Patriarch might take place, the Ukrainian ambassador to the Vatican noted that there are many versions about the venue, but there is no final decision yet.
"Now they are talking about a possible meeting after Easter, but this "after" – it looks very vague. As for the place selected, it will be indicative of the priorities. It will be possible to analyze it only after some specifics," Andriy Yurash summed up.