SW News: The peace envoy of Pope Francis and the head of the Italian episcopate Cardinal Matteo Zuppi had a meeting with US President Joe Biden on July 18. During the interaction with the president at the White House, the cardinal handed over a letter from the Holy Father to Biden in which the pontiff emphasized his sorrow for the plight caused by the war.

In a statement, the Holy See Press Office said that the meeting began around 5 pm local time and lasted about an hour. “It took place in an atmosphere of great cordiality and mutual listening,” reads the statement.

During the cardinal’s interaction with the president, there was “readiness to support humanitarian initiatives, in particular for children and for those who are most fragile”. It was aimed at tackling this urgent factor and seeking paths to achieve peace.

The following day, the cardinal and the Vatican entourage took part in the Prayer Breakfast at US Congress. During the event, he explained the various meetings he took part in during his peace mission.

Earlier, on July 17, Cardinal Zuppi visited the Apostolic Nunciature and had a meeting with Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the head of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. They discussed the war in Ukraine and the various efforts taken by the Vatican to achieve peace.

On July 18 morning, the top cardinal and the delegation including Apostolic Nuncio Cardinal-elect Christophe Pierre and first Councilor of the Apostolic Nunciature to the US Monsignor Seamus Patrick had an interaction with members of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe of the federal government.