Pope meets Ukrainian president, share commitment for peace - CNS

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Pope meets Ukrainian president, share commitment for peace

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Although the conflict between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists continues, Pope Francis and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko still share hope that a political solution still can be found, the Vatican said.

Welcoming Poroshenko to the Vatican Nov. 20, the pope greeted him in Ukrainian. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, explained that at the age of 11, the young Jorge Mario Bergoglio learned a few phrases of Ukrainian when he served as an altar boy for a Ukrainian Catholic priest in Buenos Aires.

Pope Francis and Poroshenko spoke privately for more than 20 minutes. The Vatican said that their conversation was “dedicated principally to matters connected with the situation of conflict in the country.”

“In this respect, the hope was shared that, with the commitment of all the interested parties, political solutions may be favored, starting with the full implementation of the Minsk Accords,” a cease-fire agreement signed in September 2014, the statement said.

Additionally, the two expressed their concerns regarding the difficulties in providing humanitarian relief, healthcare in areas of the country where the fighting continues.

catholicphilly.com/2015/11/news/world-news/pope-meets-ukrainian-president-share-commitment-for-peace/

Photo of the two here: gdb.rferl.org/76AFECF9-2EC4-4CA9-AA45-48450310FB4D_w974_n_s.jpg