A delegation of relatives of the prisoners of war who had defended the city of Mariupol before being captured by Russia took part in the general audience in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican on June 19.
This is reported by Vatican News.
The delegation handed the Pope lists of prisoners, photos, children’s drawings, as well as a painting depicting the prayer of mothers and wives for their sons and husbands who are in captivity. The women also presented the Holy Father with a medal carved from a bullet casing.
Archbishop Mechyslav Mokshytskyi, Lviv Metropolitan of the RCC in Ukraine, also took part in the audience.
The Ambassador of Ukraine to the Vatican, Andriy Yurash, reported that after the morning meeting with Pope Francis, women and mothers of Ukrainian prisoners of war met with the Pope’s special envoy for Ukraine, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, handing him a list of those who are being tortured in Russian prisons and who are awaiting international justice and liberation.
