‘My heart goes out to the beloved people of Ukraine’ — Pope Leo XIV receives list of Ukrainian POWs at Vatican

Pope Leo XIV has been handed a list of Ukrainian soldiers in Russian captivity during a ceremony at the Vatican, Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said on May 15.

A representative of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) families "personally" handed him the document during the Jubilee of Eastern Churches held on May 12–14.

"My heart goes out to the suffering and beloved people of Ukraine. Let us do everything we can to bring about a true peace, a just and lasting peace, as soon as possible," Pope Leo XIV said, according to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

"Let all the prisoners be released and let the children return to their families," he added.

There have been 64 POW swaps since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022, and five during 2025.

The Ukrainian delegation present in the Vatican included the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Sviatoslav Shevchuk, who congratulated Pope Leo XIV on his election.

Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected as head of the Catholic Church in the conclave on May 8 after the death of his predecessor, Pope Francis.

In his first Sunday address on May 11, Pope Leo XIV called for an "authentic and lasting peace" in Ukraine, adding that he carries in his heart the "suffering of the beloved people of Ukraine."

Previously, while serving as Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru, Leo XIV spoke out against Russia's continued war against Ukraine.

In a 2022 interview with Peruvian news outlet Semanario Expresion, he condemned Russia's war against Ukraine, characterizing it as "a true invasion, imperialist in nature, where Russia seeks to conquer territory for reasons of power."