The Holy See and Pope Francis are stepping up efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Pope spoke at the Vatican in a video link with the Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in Moscow.
In the evening, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin celebrated a service for peace with 400 believers in St. Peter's Basilica, which was also attended by the ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to the Holy See.
Matthias Rub
Political correspondent for Italy, the Vatican, Albania and Malta based in Rome.
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The Pope sent Cardinals Konrad Krajewski and Michael Czerny to Poland and Hungary, Slovakia and western Ukraine respectively to coordinate humanitarian aid from Catholic aid organizations and to hold talks with local church and state representatives.
The Pole Krajewski heads the apostolic alms administration in the Vatican, the Canadian Curia Cardinal Czerny, born in 1946 in what was then Czechoslovakia, the dicastery for the holistic development of man.
Pope plans liturgical acts for Ukraine and Russia
The Holy See also announced that Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on March 25, on the Feast of the Annunciation in St. Peter's Basilica.
On the same day, Curia Cardinal Krajewski is to perform the same rite in the Marian pilgrimage site of Fátima in Portugal.
In such a consecration, Mary is implored to take people or certain lands under her maternal protection to protect them from dangers and temptations of evil.
During the video conversation on Wednesday, the Pope and the Patriarch agreed that the Church "must not speak the language of politics" but "the language of Jesus", said Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni.
Christians and their pastors must do everything "so that peace prevails".
Both sides also emphasized the importance of the ongoing negotiations.
According to the Holy See's statement, Francis said: "Even in our churches there used to be talk of a holy war or a just war." In the meantime, however, Christian awareness of the importance of peace has developed.
"Those who pay the price for war are the Russian soldiers, and it's the people who are bombed and die." Wars are always unjust because it is "God's people who pay the price."
Kirill first turned to clergy and believers
The Moscow Patriarchate's statement said that "the situation on Ukrainian soil" and the humanitarian aspects of "the current crisis" were discussed in detail, as well as possible "measures taken by the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches to overcome their consequences". .
The Curia Cardinal Kurt Koch, who is responsible for ecumenism, the Foreign Representative of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion, and a translator each took part in the conversation.
On Wednesday afternoon, Kirill addressed the clergy and believers of his church directly for the first time in a short written communication "in connection with the events in Ukraine".
"We are experiencing a difficult historical phase today," it says.
"All of our thoughts, concerns and prayers are related to the current events in Ukraine." In the most difficult times, the Russian people have always sought help from the Mother of God, "who has always been a diligent advocate and protector of Saint Rus".
"Rus" is the name given to the medieval empire from which Russia, Ukraine and Belarus emerged.
While Kirill avoids the word “war” in accordance with Kremlin-mandated terminology, Francis has repeatedly deplored the war in Ukraine without naming Russia as the aggressor.
With his verbal restraint, he follows a diplomatic tradition of the Holy See of holding back public statements or even condemnations in cases of war and conflict in order to keep diplomatic channels of communication open with as many participants in a conflict as possible.
The Catholic Bishops of Russia and Ukraine thanked the Pope for the forthcoming liturgical act for both countries.
The Greek Catholic Archbishop of Kiev Svyatoslav Shevchuk said that the Ukrainian people had been waiting for this act for a long time.