Pope called Ukraine president; expressed 'profound pain'

Pope Francis holds the weekly general audience at the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican on February 23, 2022. [Reuters]

Pope Francis has called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressing his "most profound pain" for the country's suffering, the Ukrainian Embassy to the Vatican said.

According to the embassy, the pope made the call on Saturday, February 26.

In a tweet, the embassy announced the conversation and after which an embassy official told Reuters the conversation took place at about 6 p.m. (1800 EAT).

However, the embassy could not disclose further details.

"The Holy Father expressed his most profound pain for the tragic events happening in our country," the embassy said in a tweet.

A report by Reuters indicates that the conversation took place a day after the pope had made a surprise visit to the Russian embassy.

He had gone to relay his concern over Russia's invasion of Ukraine to Moscow's ambassador, in an unprecedented departure from diplomatic protocol, Reuters reports.

The Russian ambassador denied an Argentine media report that the pope, 85, had offered the Vatican's mediation.

Also on Friday, the pope called Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, leader of Ukraine's Eastern-rite Catholics who has vowed not to leave Kyiv and who has opened up his cathedral's basement as a bomb shelter.

Shevchuk's Rome office said the pope told the archbishop "I will do everything I can" to help.