Pope Leo XIV, who has led the Roman Church for only five days, has already received invitations from various countries. According to La Repubblica, Türkiye, Ukraine, and Peru are the first countries the Pontiff plans to visit.
Even before ascending to the papacy in 2022, Pope Leo XIV openly condemned Russian aggression. He called Russia’s war against Ukraine “a real invasion, imperialist in nature, aimed at seizing territory for the sake of power.” This stands in stark contrast to the position of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who often refrained from directly naming the aggressor and spoke of “brotherhood” between Ukrainians and Russians, a stance that drew criticism in many countries.
The first official invitation Pope Leo received was from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who, during their phone conversation on 12 May, invited the Pontiff to visit Kyiv on an apostolic visit. The conversation was the first official call to a foreign head of state by His Holiness.
“Such a visit would bring true hope to all believers and to our entire nation,” Zelenskyy said.
He expressed his gratitude to the Pope for his support of Ukraine and the Vatican’s efforts in helping return children deported to Russia. Both sides agreed to stay in contact.
The question remains whether the Pope will visit only Kyiv or also Moscow. His predecessor, Francis, repeatedly emphasized the importance of visiting both capitals.
Pope Leo XIV has already shown particular attention to Ukraine. During his first Angelus, he personally addressed the Ukrainian people with a prayer for peace, calling on believers around the world to pray for an end to the war.