The Vatican ambassador to Ukraine on the selection of the new Pope and his attitude towards Ukraine.

The election of the new Pope Leo XIV aroused interest not only in Catholic circles, but also in the wider social space, in particular in Ukraine. His young age, energy and relative newness in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church prompt the question: what will be his policy not only in terms of internal church reforms, but also in the field of external relations – especially in the context of global conflicts and humanitarian crises. For Ukraine, this issue is not abstract: in recent years, society has closely followed the position of the Holy See regarding the war, often perceiving the signals from the Vatican as contradictory or not clear enough. The death of Pope Francis and the arrival of a new pontiff opens a new page while maintaining a complex legacy. What will change in the attitude towards Ukraine? What line will the new Pope follow in his peacemaking mission? What is the understanding of the Ukrainian situation in the Vatican today? To these questions answered Apostolic Nuncio (Ambassador of the Vatican) in Ukraine Visvaldas Kulbokas.

According to Visvaldas Kulbokas, the choice of the Pope is a matter of global significance that affects the whole world, not just the Catholic Church itself. The young age of the new Pontiff gives him the opportunity to lead the Church for a long time and realize his vision both in internal church politics and in external relations. For Ukraine, it is extremely important what Leo XIV’s attitude will be to the war unleashed by Russia, and what role he will play for Ukraine in the architecture of global peace.

The Vatican ambassador noted that the attitude towards Pope Francis in Ukraine was controversial, primarily due to the ambiguity of his statements. At the same time, he explained that the Pope does not have an army or even battalions – he has only his word, moral and spiritual authority at his disposal. And when Francis repeatedly repeated the word “dialogue”, this in itself meant that he did not agree with the Russian ideology, which chose war as an instrument of influence. According to Kulbokas, these calls for dialogue are not a manifestation of naivety or abstraction, but on the contrary, they are a clear moral answer: if you need something, choose dialogue, not weapons.

The Apostolic Nuncio explained that the Ukrainian public did not always correctly interpret the message of Pope Francis. According to him, the Vatican thinks globally: even when the Pope called for reconciliation or a “white flag”, he often meant not Ukrainians, but rather Russians. And in this context, the words of Francis should be understood not as pressure on Kyiv, but as an appeal to Moscow. At the same time, Kulbokas admitted that even for the Pope himself, it is not always easy to find the exact form of appeal, because journalists from Italy and other countries work in the Vatican, who are influenced by information not only from Ukraine, but also from Russia.

Regarding the visit of Pope Francis to Ukraine, which never took place, Visvaldas Kulbokas told about one specific case. In May 2022, when the defenders of Mariupol had not yet been captured, the idea of ​​organizing a humanitarian corridor with the participation of China, Turkey and Pope Francis himself was discussed. If this plan was implemented, the Pope was ready to come to Mariupol. According to Kulbokas, this testifies to the spiritual readiness of Francis to visit Ukraine, and his decisions did not depend on the desire to show support, but on the conviction that his presence should bring maximum benefit.

The ambassador noted that the position of Pope Francis has changed over time. In 2022, according to Kulbokas, Francis was already preparing to come, but later changed his mind. And at the end of 2024, he returned to this idea again. But since Francis allowed himself to change his decisions when he sensed their fallibility or received new information, no one could predict whether the visit would actually take place. The ambassador himself admits that it was never easy for him to answer the question: “When will the Pope come?”

Speaking about the criticism of Francis, Kulbokas recalled that in 2022, more than 30% of all the messages he received were about reactions to the Pope’s statements. He emphasized that it was a wave of emotions that covered both the clergy and the laity. At the same time, he noted that even within Ukraine, there is a difference in priorities and perception of the situation – bishops from Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia or Kyiv speak differently, and bishops from the western regions speak differently. An even bigger gap is felt when comparing perceptions in Ukraine and abroad. As Kulbokas emphasized, during the war we live in two different worldviews – the Ukrainian one, where war and humanitarian challenges are a daily reality, and the Vatican one, where the daily agenda covers many other issues.

In this context, the ambassador explained that even bishops and the Pope, who are in Rome, do not have the same experience as Ukrainian priests. And therefore, even if the goals are the same, the formulations that come from the Vatican do not always meet the expectations of Ukrainian society. As he emphasized, we are becoming very vulnerable to everything related to Ukraine and the war. Even an inaccurate word can be perceived critically, due to the fact that we live in a state of moral allergy to any misunderstanding.

Regarding the new Pope, Visvaldas Kulbokas said that the work on shaping his vision of Ukraine should be collective. It rests not only on the shoulders of the Apostolic Nuncio or the State Secretariat of the Holy See. According to him, this is a task for everyone – journalists, diplomats, delegations visiting the Vatican. Each such visit, each conversation is a contribution to the understanding of Ukraine in the Apostolic capital. As Kulbokas explained, no ambassador, not even a Ukrainian one, has permanent access to the Pope. Therefore, it is important that the Ukrainian side at all levels, including journalists, conveys its truth.

Evaluating the efforts of the Vatican in the matter of the exchange of prisoners and the return of Ukrainian children, the ambassador admitted: there are good intentions, but the system is still lacking. He gave an example of the activity of the special envoy of the Pope, Cardinal Zuppi, who went to Moscow twice, handed over lists, met, but this was not enough. Effectiveness, according to Kulbokas, requires a whole team – legal, logistical, and financial. In this matter, he drew attention to the experience of Qatar, which takes on a significant part of the logistics costs: planes, overnight stays for children, evacuation. The Vatican does not have such resources. Therefore, as Kulbokas acknowledged, more institutional effort is needed to get more results.

In addition, the ambassador emphasized that Pope Francis had a personal experience of close communication with the UGCC, especially with His Beatitude Sviatoslav. And, according to Kulbokas, there is every reason to hope that the new Pope will continue and deepen this cooperation. He sees great potential in the UGCC – not only spiritual, but also socio-cultural. According to him, both Greek-Catholic and Roman-Catholic bishops in Ukraine know their people well, remember the experience of repression, the Holodomor, and the preservation of faith under bans. According to Kulbokas, their testimony is especially valuable, because it is conveyed not only by words, but also by emotion.

The ambassador concluded that for him serving in Ukraine is a blessing – it is an opportunity to get to know two branches of Catholicism from the inside, to feel their pain, experience, strength and hope. And it is this experience, Visvaldas Kulbokas is convinced, that should be conveyed to the heart of the new Pope, but conveying it is a common task of all who represent Ukraine.