Continuing on yesterday’s overview of Pope Francis’ involvement to bring peace in a turbulent world, on another occasion, Francis wrote to U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro in an effort to help facilitate the normalization in relations between the two countries. And on Feb. 25, 2022, the day after Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, Francis left the Vatican and went to the Russian Embassy to the Holy See to express his concerns over the war, a truly unprecedented gesture. Since the start of Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Francis has incessantly spoken out against what he has described as an unjust, absurd and cruel war and named Russia as the aggressor. In 2018, the Vatican entered into a bilateral agreement with China, which, although the text remains confidential, broadly establishes procedures for selecting bishops for the country that are approved by the Holy See ahead of the ordination. Since that time, however, experts have warned that the situation for the country's estimated 10 million-12 million Catholics has seemingly deteriorated. The Vatican, along with the universal church and the church in China, is committed to "trying to carry on the work of evangelization, respecting local customs and traditions and collaborating with the authorities." At the 10-year mark of the pontificate — where at 86, Francis refuses to allow mobility issues to slow him down from plans on the horizon to travel to Hungary, Portugal, France, Mongolia and India. The Vatican's proactive diplomacy will continue to focus on the big issues of today for humanity. We hope and pray that the second decade of Francis’ papacy will bring more healing and harmony in the world.
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