Pope Leo Calls Putin From Hospital, Urges Ceasefire, Aid To Starving Ukrainians

Pope Leo XIV has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine to allow humanitarian aid to reach civilians facing starvation in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky.
The pope appealed during a telephone conversation with Putin on Thursday, October 16, amid growing concerns over the humanitarian crisis in the partially occupied Kherson region of Ukraine.
The Holy See Press Office disclosed that Pope Leo, who is at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital following lung cancer surgery on October 13, “expressed his deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation in the city of Oleshky.”
According to the press office, the pontiff “called for a ceasefire to allow the deli...