Cardinal Zuppi Completes Third Apostolic Visit to Moscow

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi has returned to Vatican City after completing the third phase of his apostolic mission to Moscow. He arrived on September 30, concluding a three-day visit that followed previous missions in June 2023 and October 2024. The cardinal, who serves as the Pope's special envoy for humanitarian issues and president of the Italian Bishops' Conference, focused his discussions on locating missing persons, the return of Ukrainian children, and meetings with prisoners of war.

During the visit, Zuppi toured a camp for Ukrainian prisoners of war. He spoke with the detainees and conveyed the proximity of Pope Leo XIV, expressing the hope that they would soon be able to return home. He was accompanied by Archbishop Giovanni D'Aniello, the official appointed for apostolic works in Moscow. Zuppi also met with Yuri Ushakov, the foreign policy advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Their talks centered on the detention of military and civilian personnel, the search for missing individuals, the reunification of families, and the return of children.