Papal Envoy Visits Ukrainian POWs in Russia

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Pope Leo XIV’s envoy for humanitarian affairs, visited Moscow from Sept. 28 to 30, including a detention facility where he spoke with Ukrainian prisoners of war. Zuppi said he hoped the visit would support continued prisoner exchanges and described discussions with Russian officials on missing people, civilian detainees, family reunification and humanitarian aid. He also met Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov and the country’s human-rights and children’s-rights commissioners. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the visit demonstrated Russian-Vatican cooperation and asserted that the facility met humanitarian standards; that characterization was the ministry’s claim.