On July 2, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna and Head of the Italian Episcopal Conference, shared his thoughts on his visits to Kyiv and Moscow during the "War in Europe and the Road to a Just Peace" event in Potenza, Italy, as part of the mission entrusted to him by Pope Francis.
This was reported by Vatican News.
"There is an aggressor, and there is a victim, and it is crucial not to blur the lines of responsibility. Peace should be a secure and authentic peace—one that paves the way for the rebuilding of not only what has been devastated but, most importantly, for the restoration of coexistence," emphasized Cardinal Matteo Zuppi.
"Dialogue is like a fabric that can be woven in different ways. It is necessary to encourage many initiatives to weave the delicate lacework of peace again," he stressed, adding that "peace and justice go hand in hand." Therefore, "it is about understanding what a just peace can be, one that resolves conflicts."
Cardinal Zuppi also reiterated that "there is no plan or mediation," and echoing the words of Cardinal Parolin, the Secretary of State, emphasized that Pope Francis seeks to "create all possibilities, to see, to listen, and to promote everything that can lead to the resolution of the conflict."
"It is in the darkness that we must seek the light of peace, knowing that no one has a magic wand and that everything that can contribute to it is important," he added.
According to the head of the Italian Episcopal Conference, Pope Francis is an example of participation, compassion, and expectation, in which the pain of those who suffer becomes his own pain and must become our pain. He highlighted the humanitarian aspect on which the mission mainly focuses, including issues related to children. Cardinal Zuppi noted that this issue was one of the most urgent appeals made by the Ukrainian authorities. "This humanitarian space can and should be engaged; the thousands of children who do not return home should prompt us to ask ourselves certain questions," he remarked.