Ukraine gets Pope’s message:

Europe

Francis

The Vatican envoy to Ukraine on Easter Sunday held services for the first time in the war-torn east since the separatist uprising began, bringing a message of support from Pope Francis.

Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti was on a “mission of reconciliation” to the region which has been torn apart by almost two years of conflict between pro-Russian rebels and government forces, Auxiliary Bishop Jan Sobilo said.

The pontiff asked his envoy “to pass on a message that he is concerned and is praying and thinking how to help the people here,” the bishop of KharkivZaporizhia in eastern Ukraine, who accompanied Gugerotti, told AFP.

Gugerotti held midnight and morning masses in the de facto rebel capital of Donetsk, handing worshippers images of the Virgin Mary blessed by the pope.

The papal nuncio was on his first visit to the east of the former Soviet state since the insurgency erupted in April 2014 following the ouster of a pro-Russian regime in Kiev and Moscow’s subsequent annexation of Crimea.

Around 100 Catholics gathered for the Easter morning mass in Donetsk’s only Catholic church, named after Saint Joseph.

Sofiya, 16, said she had spent all night in the church to receive a blessing from the archbishop.

“In Donetsk because of the war there is a curfew (from 10:00 pm) so I came yesterday to the church at 9:00 pm, before it started, and spent all night here.” (AFP)