Cardinal Zuppi appeals for justice and dialogue in Ukraine, declaring that true peace cannot come from weapons but through shared humanity.
Newsroom (12/03/2026 Gaudium Press )Under the vaulted frescoes of Assisi’s Upper Basilica of Saint Francis, Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference and Archbishop of Bologna, presided over a solemn Mass dedicated to peace in Ukraine and throughout the world. The celebration, organized by the Ukrainian Embassy to the Holy See and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, coincided with the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and with the exhibition of the relics of Saint Francis, marking the eighth centenary of the saint’s death.
More than a hundred representatives of the Ukrainian community joined pilgrims from across the world, gathered in the Basilica where the saint of Assisi continues to bridge centuries through his message of fraternity. “Saint Francis remains a brother meeting other brothers everywhere,” Cardinal Zuppi said in his homily, his voice resonating beneath Giotto’s luminous frescoes. “We need a lot of light and hope in such a difficult time for the world.”
A Call for Shared Humanity
As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, Cardinal Zuppi—who also serves as Pope Francis’s special envoy for peace—insisted that authentic peace is never the product of military dominance. “A peace imposed only by weapons is false,” he declared, citing Saint Paul VI’s appeal: “If you want peace, work for justice.”
He condemned indiscriminate acts of war that destroy entire cities as “crimes against God and humanity,” echoing the Second Vatican Council’s Gaudium et Spes. Elevating his eyes toward the crucifix above the altar, Zuppi prayed for the silencing of arms and the opening of “spaces of dialogue where the voice of the people can be heard.”
“The sound of bombs must cease everywhere,” he implored, urging all present to pray for “the courage for a just and lasting peace.” For him, peace cannot be separated from justice: “Only together can we find it and defend it.”
Saint Francis’ Enduring Message
Turning to the figure of Saint Francis, the Cardinal underscored the relevance of the saint’s message in a world fractured by war. “He helps us understand what really matters in life: the freedom to love, without possessing, and the bond of love,” Zuppi said. The saint’s example, he added, is a rebuke to hostility and division: “Every war is fratricidal.”
Quoting Pope Leo XIII, Zuppi reminded the faithful that the saint’s life “points to the authentic source of peace” in an era burdened by “internal and social divisions that create fear.”
Ukraine’s Voice for Peace
Andrii Yurash, the Ukrainian Ambassador to the Holy See, reflected on the prayer’s spiritual and diplomatic importance. Describing it as “a moment that inspires and strengthens trust,” he emphasized that a “just peace means justice, and justice means the will of God.” Yurash linked the notion of peace to a universal call for humanity’s conscience: “In a time when we witness many wars and violations of international law, peace becomes a concept fundamental to all humanity.”
As a gesture of gratitude, the ambassador presented Cardinal Zuppi with two paintings by Ukrainian artist Svitlana Dudenko: Pilgrims of Hope—depicting Pope Francis opening the Holy Door for the Jubilee—and Prayer for the World.
A Procession of Prayer and Memory
After Mass, clergy, pilgrims, and Ukrainian faithful processed from the Upper to the Lower Basilica, pausing in silence before the relics of Saint Francis. The crowd—religious and lay, young and old—stood before the saint’s tomb, united in a single plea for peace.
The surrounding frescoes, illustrating the life of Saint Francis alongside scenes of Christ’s Passion, seemed to frame the day’s message: that history and the human heart are not transformed by violence, but by faith and charity.
The commemoration of the war’s fourth anniversary will continue on Sunday, March 15, with a Via Crucis at the Basilica of Santa Sofia in Rome—a new chapter in the Church’s ongoing call for reconciliation and hope amid global turmoil.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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