Pope Francis and the Ukrainian president have only met in person once. That meeting took place in February, 2020.
Volodymyr Zelensky asked the Pope for help liberating prisoners of war captured by Russians.
The Pope gave the President a medallion and his message of peace.
Zelensky expressed his gratitude to the Pope on social media and recognized his work for peace.
Two years after their meeting, on Saturday, Feb. 26, they spoke on the phone. The Pope expressed his sorrow over the war in Ukraine.
Following their conversation, the Ukrainian Embassy to the Holy See reported on Twitter that the Pope had expressed his deepest pain over the tragic events unfolding in Ukraine.
Their conversation took place while dramatic news arrived of bombardments on the streets of Kyiv.
The Pope used Ukrainian and Russian on his Twitter account @Pontifex to speak out against the war.
His Twitter account also showed an image of Christ on the Cross with the hashtag “Let us pray together for Ukraine.”
As with their previous meeting, President Zelensky tweeted his thanks for the Pope's prayers for peace in Ukraine and for a ceasefire. “The people of Ukraine feel the spiritual support of His Holiness,” he wrote.
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TR: CT
