“Our diplomacy has understood that a meeting between the two of us at this point could cause a lot of confusion,” the pope said in an interview.
There had previously been talk of a meeting between the two in Jerusalem in June. The Pope would have traveled there via Jordan during his visit to Lebanon. It would have been the second meeting between Francis and Cyril after a historic first meeting in Cuba in 2016.
Interreligious dialogue emphasized
Francis stressed that he had always promoted interreligious dialogue. “When I was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, I brought Christians, Jews and Muslims together in a fruitful dialogue. This was one of the initiatives I’m particularly proud of. It’s the same policy I’m pursuing at the Vatican.”
Regarding the mediation efforts in the Ukraine conflict, the Pope emphasized that these are always in progress. “The Vatican never rests. I can’t give you the details, but the peace effort will never stop,” Francis assured.
Flag kiss: “gesture of solidarity”
Speaking on his visit to the Russian Embassy to the Holy See after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Pope Francis said: “I went alone. I didn’t want anyone to accompany me. That was my personal responsibility. It was a decision I made in one night met when I was thinking about Ukraine,” said the Pope.
“I would like to do something so that there is not one more death in Ukraine. And I am ready to do everything for it. Any war is anachronistic in this world and at this stage of civilization,” Francis noted. “That’s why I publicly kissed the Ukrainian flag. It was a gesture of solidarity with their dead, with their families and with those who suffer from emigration,” said the Pope.
Source: Nachrichten
