“Rome — Pope Leo spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin from hospital on Friday, just days after his lung cancer surgery, and expressed his concern about the “grave humanitarian situation” in a Russian-occupied Ukrainian city. During the call, the Vatican said Leo expressed “deep concern” about the conditions in Oleshky, a Russian-occupied Ukrainian city in”, — write on: www.cnn.com
Rome —
Pope Leo spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin from hospital on Friday, just days after his lung cancer surgery, and expressed his concern about the “grave humanitarian situation” in a Russian-occupied Ukrainian city.
During the call, the Vatican said Leo expressed “deep concern” about the conditions in Oleshky, a Russian-occupied Ukrainian city in the Kherson region where Ukrainian authorities say around 2,000 civilians remain and supply routes for food and medicine are blocked.
Leo, to whom Ukrainians have appealed for help, called for a local ceasefire to allow for civilians to be safely evacuated and aid to be delivered.
Putin “supported” the Vatican’s intention to help alleviate the dire humanitarian situation, the Kremlin said in a statement. Ukraine has accused Russia of “deliberately creating a humanitarian catastrophe” in Oleshky.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See secretary of state, told reporters he hoped Putin would act on the pope’s requests.
“I hope that faced with a request from the Holy Father, … President Putin agrees to implement what the Pope asked of him,” Parolin said.
The pope’s call with Putin, only the second in Leo’s papacy, offers another indication that he is returning to work after undergoing lung cancer surgery on Tuesday.
Leo led Mass at midday on Friday with off-duty medical and nursing staff from the Gemelli Hospital present as the Vatican said he showed “steady improvement” after having part of his lung removed earlier in the week. Pictures of the pontiff showed him standing up and celebrating mass in the hospital’s makeshift chapel.