In a long post on X, the Ukrainian leader said that during the conversation with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, “I wished Pope Francis a speedy recovery and thanked him for his prayers and moral support for our people.”

The question asked by many Syrians from Alawite, Shiite, Druse, Christian and other minority communities has become: “Can [I] live in an Islamist country and not be [Sunni] Muslim?”

Some voices advocate for immediate peace in Ukraine at any cost, but the world—and both political and religious leaders—must reject the illusion of a pacifism that ignores the harsh realities of evil and injustice.

Despite his confinement to his hospital room, where he is being treated for double pneumonia, Pope Francis delivered two important messages on Sunday.

The European bishops were careful to note that their expression of solidarity was extended to Ukrainians “who have been suffering from Russia’s unjustifiable full-scale invasion for more than three years.”

The White House began an effort to restore relations with Russia as President Trump repeats Russia’s narrative and talking points about the origins of the war on Ukraine.