Ukraine, Alemanno to the Pope to talk about peace

Gianni Alemanno, former mayor of Rome, former minister and spokesman for the ‘Stopping the War’ committee, in a private audience with Pope Francis. Central theme of the meeting: initiatives that can help bring peace to Ukraine. The subject is very dear to Alemanno who, in opposition to the government right, has openly sided with no to sending arms and with the search for a diplomatic solution with Russia.

Several initiatives in favor of the diplomatic solution including the participation in the Angelus of Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square with the ‘Christmas Truce’ banner. “We came to St. Peter’s Square for Pope Francis’ Angelus with a banner with the inscription ‘Christmas truce in Ukraine’, to thank the Holy Father, the only authoritative voice that has been raised in the world to stop the war in Ukraine » explained the former minister and now spokesman for the committee in the square together with the young people of the Magnitudo Italia Association.

«The proposal of a European peace conference, Helsinki model, put forward by Cardinal Parolin is the only realistic initiative to reach a ceasefire, stop the escalation of the conflict and open a negotiating table – added Alemanno -. With a collection of signatures today throughout Italy we ask the Government to launch the idea of ​​a Christmas truce: there is still a week to hope». Francis himself, immediately after the usual Sunday Angelus, had launched his umpteenth appeal for peace in Ukraine: «We ask the Virgin Mary, whom the liturgy invites us to contemplate on this fourth Sunday of Advent, to touch the hearts of those who can stop the war in Ukraine. Let us not forget the suffering of those people, especially the children, the elderly, the sick. Let’s pray, let’s pray.”

And the Pope-Alemanno meeting – which took place on Saturday – comes a few days after the private audience, the first, of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni who will meet the Pontiff tomorrow in the Apostolic Palace.