Pope Leo speaks by phone with Russian President Putin
Pope Leo XIV spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the Holy See Press Office. The Pope voiced deep concern about the humanitarian crisis in Oleshky, in Ukraine’s Kherson region. He called for a ceasefire to enable food and medical aid deliveries and the voluntary, safe evacuation of civilians, reaffirming the Holy See’s commitment to dialogue and peace.
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Pope Leo XIV spoke by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Oct. 16 while recovering in hospital from lung cancer surgery. Leo urged a ceasefire to enable food and medical aid to reach Oleshky, in Ukraine’s Kherson region, and called for civilians to be evacuated safely and voluntarily; the Kremlin said the two sides agreed to cooperate on aid and public safety. 1 2 3
The Holy See Press Office said Leo expressed “deep concern” about Oleshky’s severe humanitarian situation and called for a halt in fighting to allow aid deliveries and civilian evacuations. It also said he reaffirmed the Holy See’s commitment to dialogue and peace. 1
The call was Leo’s first reported direct conversation with a head of state since his Oct. 13 surgery, and his second reported telephone conversation with Putin. The Vatican’s brief statement did not say who initiated the call. 2 6
The Kremlin said Putin wished Leo a speedy recovery and thanked him for his willingness to contribute to resolving the conflict and for his humanitarian efforts. It also said Putin described what he called Kyiv’s responsibility for Oleshky’s humanitarian conditions, while supporting Vatican efforts to facilitate civilian safety and essential supplies; according to the Kremlin, cooperation was agreed. 2 3
The Kremlin characterized the conversation as constructive and mutually respectful, and said both sides reaffirmed interest in dialogue between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches. Its account also highlighted Russian-Vatican cooperation on shared spiritual and moral values and the protection of Christians and Christian holy sites. 2
Reports cited differing estimates of how many people remain trapped in or around Oleshky. EWTN, citing the United Nations, reported about 1,700 people trapped; Aleteia cited Ukrainian officials’ estimate of roughly 2,000 civilians, including 40 children; and the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations estimated more than 6,000 civilians, including about 200 children, across Oleshky and surrounding communities. 2 6 3
The Ukrainian Council of Churches said food was last delivered to the area at the end of May, while the Institute for the Study of War’s Oct. 2 assessment cited by OSV said deliveries had stopped after May 26. Ukrainian officials and the council described residents as facing severe shortages and difficulties leaving the area. 3 5
The call followed visits to Russia by Vatican officials, including Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher in August and Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the pope’s humanitarian envoy, at the end of September. EWTN reported that the Oct. 16 conversation had been planned during Zuppi’s trip. 2 4
Leo and Putin previously spoke by phone on June 4, 2025. The earlier conversation focused on the war in Ukraine and prospects for peace, with Leo urging Russia to make a gesture that would foster peace and emphasizing dialogue. 2 4
The Catholic Church’s moral role in protecting civilians during armed conflict
The Catholic Church’s moral role in protecting civilians during armed conflict is to defend the inviolable dignity of every person, insist that moral limits remain binding in war, and urge practical protection and aid for those caught in violence. The Church does not treat civilian protection as optional or merely a matter of military policy: it is a moral obligation rooted in the worth of the human person.
The Church recognizes that force may be used for legitimate defense, but that right is joined to a duty to protect innocent people who cannot defend themselves. International humanitarian law—the rules governing conduct in war—is therefore morally important and must be respected. Civilians must not be made targets, forcibly driven from their homes, or treated as expendable for military or political advantage.
The Catechism emphasizes that the moral law does not disappear during armed conflict: practices deliberately contrary to humanitarian principles are crimes. This means that claims of military necessity do not automatically excuse attacks or other conduct that violates fundamental protections.
A central concern is the distinction between combatants and civilians. The Holy See has warned that explosive weapons used in densely populated areas can make that distinction extremely difficult, while causing deaths, injuries, displacement, and lasting damage to hospitals, schools, sanitation systems, and places of worship. The moral assessment of military action must therefore take seriously not only immediate casualties but also foreseeable harm to civilian life and essential services.
The Church’s concern extends beyond preventing direct attacks. Humanitarian assistance must reach civilians and must not be manipulated to advance the interests of a party to the conflict; the good of the people receiving aid must come first. The Church also calls attention to refugees and displaced people, whose dignity and rights remain to be protected when they are forced to flee.
Protection also includes safeguarding humanitarian and health workers, journalists, and other people at heightened risk, as well as civilian infrastructure essential to basic services. The Holy See has stressed that attacks on aid workers obstruct lifesaving assistance and that impunity for such attacks can undermine the rule of law. It has also urged greater attention to unexploded ordnance, which can injure civilians and obstruct their return long after fighting ends.
The Church’s role includes calling governments and armed groups to account morally, and encouraging states to implement civilian protections fully. Catholic military chaplains, in particular, are urged to help form service members in the ethical principles behind humanitarian law, so that it is understood not only as a legal code but as a moral obligation grounded in human dignity.
Civilian protection is not limited to conduct during battle. The Church also calls for preventing war, resolving conflicts peacefully where possible, and supporting reconstruction and reconciliation afterward. Its teaching recognizes defense of the innocent against grave evil, while insisting that the human cost of war and the limits on the use of force must never be forgotten.
In practice, then, the Church’s moral contribution is to keep the protection of civilians at the center of public debate; promote respect for humanitarian law; encourage aid, refuge, and care for victims; oppose impunity and indiscriminate harm; and press for peace. Its underlying conviction is that even amid war, the dignity of civilians—and of every human being involved—remains inviolable.