Vatican Offers to Host Ukraine‑Russia Peace Summit, Archbishop Gallagher Calls for Prayer

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Pope Leo XIV’s special envoy, visited Ukraine in July, celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Latin‑rite Catholic Church’s restoration. Over 3,000 faithful gathered at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Berdychiv for an outdoor Mass, where Gallagher prayed for peace and justice for a country ravaged by four‑and‑a‑half years of war.

The following day President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the Vatican after meeting Gallagher in Kyiv, confirming the Holy See’s readiness to host a possible summit between Kyiv and Moscow. Zelensky highlighted the Church’s support for Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, reiterated Ukraine’s path toward EU membership, and praised the Vatican’s prayers and diplomatic backing for a negotiated end to the conflict.