The Ambassador to the Vatican Explained Why the Late Pope Francis Did Not Visit Ukraine.

Pope Francis Dreams of Visiting Ukraine

Pope Francis expressed a desire to visit Ukraine, but this visit never happened due to a number of circumstances, both ideological and related to his health. This was reported by the Ukrainian ambassador to the Vatican, Andriy Yurash, in an interview with 'Glavkom'.

“Pope Francis has always said that he wants to be in Ukraine. But he would like to realize this simultaneously with a visit to Moscow. Because Popes have never visited the capital of Russian tyranny...”

Yurash revealed that in 2022 there was a moment when the Pope was almost ready to make a visit to Ukraine. However, after returning from Canada, the Pope halted active preparations and began the process of developing the ideological justification and concept for this visit.

“The issue of health also came into play. Then the ideological context dominated more than purely medical issues. Our president always discussed these points with the Pope...”

According to Yurash, in the case of a ceasefire, the chances of a new Pope's visit to Ukraine will significantly increase. He believes that if the Pope's visit becomes possible, it would help realize the long-standing dream of Ukrainians.

“The Pope spoke about the need for lasting and just peace. If the Pope sees that his visit will contribute to the implementation of this concept, then we can hope for the realization of our long-standing dream (the Pope's visit to Ukraine).”

It is important to note that in the evening of May 8, white smoke appeared in the Vatican, indicating that the cardinals had elected a new Pope.

Thus, the dream of Ukrainians for Pope Francis' visit to the country may become a reality if events develop positively and peace is achieved in the region.