VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Pope Leo XIV sent a letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday (Aug. 24), the anniversary of its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, in which he expressed his concern for the war-torn country and its people.
“I wish to reassure you of my prayers for the people of Ukraine who suffer from war — especially for all those wounded in body, for those bereaved by the death of a loved one, and for those deprived of their homes,” Leo wrote.
“May God Himself console them: may He strengthen the injured and grant eternal rest to the departed,” he said.
The pope also appealed to people of goodwill “that the clamour of arms may fall silent and give way to dialogue, opening the path to peace for the good of all.”
Zelenskyy, who published the pope’s letter on X, also thanked the pope in his post for “his thoughtful words, prayer, and attention to the people of Ukraine amid devastating war” and reiterated his desire to achieve peace. “We appreciate (the pope’s) moral leadership and apostolic support,” he added.
On Friday (Aug. 22), Leo called for a day of fasting and prayer for peace on the feast of the Queenship of the Virgin Mary, which recognized the mother of Jesus as reigning over heaven and earth in the Catholic Church.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, and Pope Leo XIV wave to journalists during their meeting in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, July 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Many other world leaders, including President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and King Charles II of the United Kingdom sent Ukraine their own letters on its Independence Day.
The pope has met with Zelenskyy on two occasions since becoming the head of the Catholic Church, most recently at the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo about an hour south of Rome. Leo has offered to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine at the Vatican, but Kremlin officials have pushed back against a Catholic institution moderating discussions between two majority Orthodox Christian nations.
The pope’s support for Ukraine represents a subtle shift from his predecessor, Pope Francis, who spoke in defense of the embattled nation but opted to remain neutral in the hopes of being a mediator for peace between Russia and Ukraine. Francis accused NATO of provoking the conflict in part by “barking at the gates of Russia.”
“Ukrainian Church leaders have expressed to me their great satisfaction that the new pope understands their situation as a Church ministering to suffering people in an invaded and brutalized country,” said Catholic commentator George Weigel, senior fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, in an email to Religion News Service.
Weigel described Leo as a “realist” who understands that peace “cannot be built by rewarding an aggressor for his aggression.”