Concerned About The Situation In Ukraine, Pope Francis Arrives At The Russian Embassy For 40 Minutes

Pope Francis. (Wikimedia Commons/Benhur Arcayan)

JAKARTA - This is something that is rarely done by Pope Francis. He went to the Russian embassy on Via Della Conciliazione in Rome to meet the Moscow ambassador Friday 25 February only to express his concerns about Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

This is unprecedented from diplomatic protocol.

A pope's visit to the embassy to speak with an ambassador at a time of conflict is unprecedented.

Foreign envoys are usually summoned by the Vatican Secretary of State or meet with the pope at the Apostolic Palace.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the pope spent more than half an hour at the embassy. He came there in a white car.

"He left to express his concern over the war," Bruni was quoted as saying by Channel News Asia. However, Bruni declined to provide details about the visit or what was the subject of discussion.

Bruni also declined to comment on Argentine media reports that the Pope had offered Vatican mediation. Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Avdeyev also denied this.

Avdeyev said the meeting lasted about 40 minutes and that the pope expressed "grave concern" about the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

The ambassador was quoted as saying that the pope "calls for the protection of children, the protection of the sick and suffering, and the protection of the people".

Pope Francis has previously made a sincere call for peace in Ukraine. He said the war had caused "excruciating pain in my heart."

"Despite the diplomatic efforts of the last few weeks, an increasingly worrying scenario unfolds, with many people around the world feeling sad and sick," he said.

“Once again the peace of all is threatened by partisan interests,” Pope Francis stressed, urging those who “have a political responsibility to examine their consciences seriously before the Lord, who is the God of peace and not war, who is the Father of all, not only some, who want us to be brothers and not enemies."

On the occasion, the Pope also prayed that "all parties involved refrain from any action, which will cause more suffering to the people, disrupt coexistence between states and bring international law into disrepute."