Pope Leo XVI spoke on Good Friday with the presidents of Israel and Ukraine, discussing the ongoing wars and the need for peace.
The pontiff spoke by telephone with Israel’s Isaac Herzog and, separately, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, in which the humanitarian situation in each war zone was discussed, the Vatican said.
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 happened as the pontiff was observing the Catholic Holy Week leading up to Easter on Sunday, and while Herzog was marking Jewish Passover into next week, and as Zelensky, a Jew, was preparing to see Ukraine celebrate Orthodox Easter, which this year falls on April 12.
A statement from Herzog’s office said the two exchanged greetings for Passover and Easter before discussing the Iran war “including the ongoing threat of missile attacks by the Iranian regime and its terror proxies against people of all faiths in the region.”
Speaking on Lebanon, they discussed “the importance of the safety and security of Christian communities on both sides of the border.”
With Zelensky, the pope 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,” the Vatican said.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, the Vatican has endeavored to play a mediation role behind the scenes, attempting to facilitate prisoner exchanges through diplomatic channels.
Zelensky noted on X that while he was speaking to the pope, “the Russians attacked Ukraine yet again” after waves of attacks since Thursday night in at least five regions.
“Not a single hour of peace for our people, and this is Russia’s response to our proposal for an Easter ceasefire,” he wrote.
The Vatican stated that the pope and Zelensky evoked hopes that “with the commitment and cooperation of the international community, hostilities may cease as soon as possible and a just and lasting peace may be achieved”.
In February, Leo stated that peace in Ukraine, where the conflict had lasted more than four years, was “an urgent necessity.”
Regarding the Middle East conflict, Leo called on international leaders to “come back to the table to dialogue” this week, saying he hoped US President Donald Trump was “looking for an off-ramp”.
