Christian World | Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín visits Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro and Fastiv from Oct 27 to 30 to bring Pope Leo XIV's closeness to war victims.

ACW | October 27, 2026 — Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín, Pope Leo XIV's almoner, is due to begin a four-day visit to Ukraine on Tuesday to bring the pope's closeness to people affected by the war, Vatican News reported.

The trip runs from October 27 to 30 and covers Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro and Fastiv. Marín de San Martín, prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, travels with the dicastery's undersecretary, Massimo Ralli.

Vatican News said he will meet communities of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the Latin-rite Church to offer comfort to those hurt by the war.

The outlet linked the visit to the pope's recent phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the humanitarian situation in the city of Oleshky.

The archbishop thanked everyone taking part and said he was conveying the Church's closeness to those who suffer "through prayer and concrete assistance." He expressed hope that "the Lord will soon grant the gift of peace," Vatican News reported.

The Apostolic Almonry is collecting winter clothing, blankets, sleeping bags, canned food and household linens at the Vatican until 1 p.m. local time on Saturday, October 31.

Background: Vatican News says the war in Ukraine has lasted more than four years and eight months. ACW earlier reported that the Vatican confirmed Pope Leo's Latin America trip.

Why it matters: The visit shows how the Catholic Church is carrying prayer and practical aid into a war zone; Vatican News says it covers both the Greek Catholic and Latin-rite churches in Ukraine.

ACW will continue to follow this story.

Source: Vatican News — Papal Almoner to travel to Ukraine to bring Pope's closeness

Photo: Vatican News (illustrative)