VATICAN CITY (AFP) – Pope Leo XVI held telephone conversations Friday with the presidents of Israel and Ukraine, during which he expressed hopes for peace amid ongoing wars, the Vatican said.
The American-born pope spoke with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and, separately, with the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. In both calls, the humanitarian situation in each war zone was discussed, the Vatican said in individual statements.
The pope and Herzog “reaffirmed the need to reopen all possible channels of diplomatic dialogue to bring an end to the serious ongoing conflict, with a view to achieving a just and lasting peace throughout the Middle East,” a statement said.
“The conversation also focused on the importance of protecting the civilian population and promoting respect for international and humanitarian law,” it added.
The calls took place as the pontiff was observing the Catholic Holy Week leading up to Easter on Sunday, while Herzog was marking Jewish Passover into next week, and as Zelensky, a Jew, was preparing for Ukraine’s celebration of Orthodox Easter, which this year falls on April 12.
With Zelensky, Leo expressed his “best wishes for the Easter holidays,” and both leaders discussed the “urgency of providing the necessary aid to the population suffering from the conflict.”
“Reference was also made to efforts aimed at promoting humanitarian initiatives, especially regarding the release of prisoners.”
