Pope Leo XIV met with U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and a delegation of Ukrainian mothers, wives, and teenagers forcibly taken to Russia. The discussion focused on efforts to secure the return of Ukrainian civilians, especially children. Caritas Ukraine is at the forefront of repatriating and reintegrating Ukrainian children. Caritas Ukraine collaborates with Ukraine’s Ombudsman’s Office and provides direct assistance to returned children. Multiple organizations have reported thousands of cases of unlawful deportations and forced transfers of Ukrainian children.
20 days ago
Pope Leo XIV met with U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and a delegation of Ukrainian mothers, wives, and teenagers at the Vatican on November 25, 2025, to discuss efforts to return children forcibly taken to Russia during the war.1 2
The meeting highlighted ongoing international coordination to repatriate civilians, especially children, amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.1 2
Organizations like Bring Kids Back UA Task Force and Save the Children have documented over 19,000 cases of unlawful deportations and forced transfers of Ukrainian children to Russia or Russia-controlled areas.1 2
A Yale School of Public Health report from September 2025 estimates the figure could reach 35,000, noting the systematic relocation of more than 8,400 children to at least 57 facilities, including 13 in Belarus.1 2
Reports accuse Russia of targeting orphans, children with disabilities, low-income families, and those with parents in the military for deportation.1 2
A joint report by the Regional Center for Human Rights, Ukrainian Child Rights Network, and Voices of Children Foundation claims Russia implements policies to eradicate Ukrainian identity through deportations, separation from parents, Russification, political indoctrination, and militarization.1 2
A 2023 U.N.-backed investigation labeled Russia's forced transfers as war crimes, leading to International Criminal Court arrest warrants for President Vladimir Putin and Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova.1 2
Russia denies these allegations, describing the transfers as humanitarian evacuations for child safety.1 2
Caritas Ukraine, part of the Caritas Internationalis network and the social arm of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, leads reintegration efforts after children return, cooperating with Ukraine's Ombudsman’s Office to assess needs and provide direct assistance.1 2
Operating for over 30 years with humanitarian programs in more than 15 regions, Caritas works through 49 local organizations and over 300 parish centers to restore dignified lives and strengthen social protections.1 2
Upon return, a Caritas project specialist escorts the child to Kyiv for an initial meeting at the Child Protection Center, followed by a needs assessment, psychological consultation, and a tailored support plan addressing basic needs, legal issues, and medical exams if required.1 2
The child then returns home with provisions, educational tutoring if needed, ongoing family contact, social guidance, and regular monitoring visits, lasting three to six months per international standards, after which local welfare services continue oversight.1 2
As of November 21, 2025, Bring Kids Back reports 1,835 children have returned from deportation, forced transfers, or occupied territories.1 2
In October 2025, U.S. First Lady Melania Trump announced some children were returned to families following talks with Putin, with more reunions expected soon; Caritas Ukraine has assisted some returnees and at least 11 child trafficking victims since the war began.1 2
Effective reintegration demands collaboration among state institutions, child protection groups, and international actors, with coordination as a key element.1 2
Repatriation of war‑taken children: Catholic Church’s role and mandate
The Catholic Church views the repatriation of children taken or displaced during wartime as a profound moral imperative rooted in the inherent dignity of every human person, particularly the most vulnerable. Children, as bearers of humanity's future, must be shielded from the horrors of conflict, and the Church's role encompasses advocacy, humanitarian assistance, diplomatic intervention, and spiritual accompaniment to ensure their safe return to families and communities. This mandate draws from the Church's social doctrine, which emphasizes protecting innocents, upholding international humanitarian law, and promoting family reunification as essential to restoring peace and justice. In conflicts like the ongoing war in Ukraine, where thousands of children have been separated from their loved ones, the Church actively calls for their repatriation while condemning any exploitation of the young as pawns in geopolitical struggles.
At the heart of the Church's mandate lies the recognition of the child's inviolable dignity, as articulated in core teachings. The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms that even in armed conflicts, the moral law remains binding, and deliberate violations—such as targeting civilians or separating families—are grave crimes against humanity. This principle extends to children, who are not mere collateral damage but persons created in God's image, deserving protection from conception through all circumstances.
The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church elaborates on this by invoking the "principle of humanity" inscribed in every conscience, which obliges societies to safeguard civil populations, including refugees fleeing war. It highlights children as a "particular category of war victim," forced to seek refuge abroad, and stresses the Church's duty to defend their human rights through pastoral presence, material aid, and advocacy. Pope John Paul II reinforced this in his address to UNICEF in 1984, describing the Church's mission as proclaiming the value of every human life, especially the defenseless, and challenging global imbalances that leave children in one part of the world suffering basic deprivations while others face consumerism's excesses. He called for "rapid and concerted efforts" to secure children's right to a better future, framing this as a prophetic voice against exploitation.
In a 2001 message to the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflicts, John Paul II described children as "precious members of the human family," embodying hopes and potential, and urged the international community to end wars and enable young victims to "return to a healthy and dignified life." This repatriation is not optional but a collective responsibility, aligning with the Church's broader call to transform suffering into pathways for peace and solidarity.
The Church's role becomes acutely practical in ongoing crises, where it interprets its mandate through papal appeals and diplomatic statements. Pope Francis, in his 2024 address to the Diplomatic Corps, decried modern wars' indiscriminate impact on civilians, citing Ukraine as evidence of how conflicts blur military and civil lines, leading to child suffering. He insisted on enforcing international humanitarian law to prevent war crimes, emphasizing that civilian victims, including children, are not "collateral damage" but individuals with dignity who demand proportionate force and accountability in defense efforts. Echoing Vatican II's Gaudium et Spes, he called for strengthening conventions to curb war's savagery, positioning the Church as a moral guardian urging dialogue over destruction.
In the Ukraine context, Holy See representatives have explicitly addressed child deportations and separations. Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, in his 2023 statement to the UN General Assembly on Ukraine's occupied territories, urged "no effort be spared" for swift family reunifications, prioritizing the "best interests of affected children." He highlighted Pope Francis's peace missions, led by Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, as humanitarian gestures to alleviate suffering and called for a ceasefire to enable just negotiations—essential for repatriation. Earlier that year, at the UN Emergency Special Session on Ukraine's war anniversary, Caccia reiterated international law's prohibition on evacuating children abroad without medical necessity and parental consent, or altering their status. He insisted on family reunification, including with extended kin, and warned that children must never be "pawns of war or used for political propaganda," underscoring the Church's diplomatic mandate to advocate for their protection and return.
Pope Francis extended this in June 2024, praying for Ukraine's war-torn people and specifically for "children repatriated," linking it to Christian signs of peace like freeing prisoners (cf. Mt 5:9; Lk 4:18). Under Pope Leo XIV, this continuity persists; his 2025 message to Catholic Charities USA praised their work with migrant children as "agents of hope," providing shelter, legal aid, and integration while recognizing displaced youth's resilience and dignity. Though not war-specific, his address to Aid to the Church in Need emphasized solidarity with persecuted families, drawing on 1 Cor 12:26 to affirm that the Church suffers with its members and labors for their freedoms, including in war zones.
The Church's mandate translates into action through its global network. Caritas Internationalis and related bodies exemplify this by supporting reintegration, as seen in best practices for migrants and refugees. In Europe, initiatives like Caritas Georgia's shelter for Ukrainian refugees offer not just basics but language and vocational training to facilitate safe returns or stable lives, embodying the verbs "to welcome" and "to protect." Similarly, Poland's Fundacja Świętego Mikołaja provides psychological and educational support for Ukrainian children, aiding integration while preparing for potential repatriation. In Africa, Caritas projects for Somali refugee children include daycare and skills training for mothers, preventing forced returns to danger and building resilience for family unity.
Diplomatically, the Holy See engages UN forums to press for humanitarian corridors and child protections, while organizations like the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors—under Pope Leo XIV's 2025 endorsement—promote cultures of safeguarding that extend to war contexts, fostering trust and dialogue for abuse prevention and recovery. These efforts align with the Compendium's call for the Church to be "close" to refugees, defending their dignity amid atrocities.
Challenges arise where sources note limitations, such as economic constraints in reintegration (e.g., Armenia's returnee programs), or the need for broader consensus on humanitarian principles. Yet, the Church prioritizes recent papal urgings, like those from Francis and Leo XIV, which take precedence in emphasizing immediate action for Ukraine's children.
The Catholic Church's role in repatriating war-taken children is both prophetic and pastoral: to denounce violations, advocate for legal safeguards, and provide tangible aid for reunification. Grounded in the dignity of life and international law, this mandate compels the faithful and global community to prioritize children's return to families, transforming war's wounds into hope. As Pope John Paul II envisioned, such efforts enable children to grow as peacemakers. In Ukraine and beyond, the Church stands ready to bridge divides, urging all toward a world where no child is forsaken.