Pope reveals he is participating in peacekeeping mission after meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister

Pope Francis celebrates Mass at Kossuth Lajos Square in Budapest, Hungary on Sunday. Photo: REUTERS/VATICAN MEDIA

The Vatican is involved in a peacekeeping mission to try to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Pope Francis said, adding that he is also ready to help repatriate Ukrainian children taken to Russia or to Russian-occupied lands.< /p>

" Now there is a mission, but it has not been published yet. When this becomes public, I will reveal it" the Pope told reporters on a flight home after a three-day visit to Hungary.

"I think peace is always achieved by opening channels. You can never achieve peace through closure… It's not easy."

Pope Francis meets Viktor Orban at the Sandor Palace in Budapest on Friday. Photo: VATICAN MEDIA/via REUTERS

The Pope added that he spoke about the situation in Ukraine with Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary, and with Metropolitan Hilarion of Budapest, who is a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church.

“At these meetings, we talked not only about Little Red Riding Hood. We talked about all this. Everyone is interested in the path to peace" he said.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Francis has called for peace almost weekly and has repeatedly expressed his desire to mediate between Kiev and Moscow. His proposal has not yet brought any results.

The 86-year-old Pope Francis has previously stated that he wants to visit Kyiv, as well as Moscow, on a peacekeeping mission.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban attends Pope Francis' Sunday mass in Budapest. Photo: ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP

Denis Shmygal, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, met with the Pope in the Vatican on Thursday and said he had discussed the «peace formula». put forward by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.

Mr. Shmyhal also asked for help in repatriating the children. Kiev estimates that almost 19,500 children have been deported to Russia or Russian-occupied Crimea since Moscow's invasion last February, in what is condemned as illegal deportation.

"The Holy See is ready to do so. [help repatriate children] because it's right" Pope Francis said on the plane. “All human gestures help, but gestures of cruelty do not help. We must do everything in human power".

Health of the Pope

Francis, who was in relatively good condition during the trip, also spoke about his health after being hospitalized in late March for what the Vatican said was bronchitis.

The Holy Father speaks to reporters on his way back to the Vatican on Monday. Photo: VATICAN MEDIA/via REUTERS

He said that he felt severe pain at the end of the general audience on March 29 and was trying to sleep.

"I did not lose consciousness, but I had a high temperature, and at 15:00 the doctor immediately took me to the hospital" He said. "It was a severe and acute pneumonia in the lower lung. Thank God I can talk about it. The body responded well to the treatment, thank God" He said. He was released on April 1.

Part of one of his lungs was removed when he was a young man in Argentina more than half a century ago.

Dad said there were no changes in plans to go to August to Lisbon for an international youth meeting, and then separately to Marseille and Mongolia.