War in Ukraine: Cardinal Parolin reiterates Vatican commitment to free prisoners

The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, has participated on behalf of Pope Francis in a peace conference on Ukraine held in Switzerland.

Between June 15 and 16, the Holy See took part in this “high-level” event after accepting the joint invitation of the President of the Swiss Confederation, Viola Amherd, and the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.

According to the Press Office, the Holy See only attended as an observer and therefore refrained from signing the Final Communiqué.

Cardinal Parolin spoke during the final plenary session, an occasion he took advantage of to insist on the importance “of never giving up” and of continuing to look for ways to end the conflict, “with good intentions, trust and creativity.”

Likewise, he recalled the numerous calls for peace by the Holy Father and reiterated that “the only means capable of achieving a true, stable and just peace is dialogue between all the parties involved.”

Along these lines, he expressed his hope “that the diplomatic effort currently promoted by Ukraine and supported by so many countries will improve, to achieve the results that the victims deserve and that the entire world expects.”

On behalf of the Holy See, he expressed his “great concern about the tragic humanitarian consequences” and assured his commitment to “facilitate the repatriation of children and favor the release of prisoners, especially seriously injured soldiers and civilians.”

“The reunification of minors with their families or legal guardians must be a primary concern for all parties, and any exploitation of their situation is unacceptable,” he stated.

Therefore, the Vatican authority insisted on the importance of strengthening all available channels to facilitate this process and recalled that the Holy See participates as an observer “in the work of the International Coalition for the repatriation of Ukrainian children from Russia.”

In addition, he noted that “there is great concern about periodic reports of non-compliance with the Geneva Conventions” regarding civilian and military prisoners.

“Despite all the challenges, the Holy See remains committed to maintaining regular communication with the Ukrainian and Russian authorities, and remains ready to assist in the implementation of possible mediation initiatives that are acceptable to all parties and benefit those affected,” commented the cardinal.

At the same time, he expressed that the Holy See “encourages countries and other members of the international community to explore avenues to provide assistance and facilitate mediation, whether of a humanitarian or political nature.”

“We trust that by supporting these efforts, we can contribute to finding consensus and guaranteeing the timely completion of these projects,” he said.

Finally, on behalf of Pope Francis, he confirmed “his personal closeness to the martyred Ukrainian people and his unwavering commitment to peace.”