Pope to meet Zelensky, recalls 'martyred Ukraine'

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday expressed hopes that a "martyred Ukraine" would be granted peace, ahead of his first private audience with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky attended the inauguration mass on Sunday morning of Leo, the first pope from the United States, where he also shook hands with US Vice President JD Vance.

The politicians were among hundreds of dignitaries and an estimated 200,000 people who attended the ceremony in St Peter's Square, 10 days after Leo was elected head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

"The martyred Ukraine is waiting for negotiations for a just and lasting peace to finally happen," the pope said in a prayer after the mass.

Zelensky lined up to shake hands with Leo afterwards, ahead of an audience scheduled by the Vatican for later in the day.

Leo only had two private audiences announced for Sunday, the other with President Dina Boluarte of Peru, a country where the pontiff worked as a missionary for two decades and where he also has citizenship.

Earlier, in his homily, Leo said he wanted the Church to be a "leaven for a reconciled world", calling for peace.

In response, Zelensky wrote on Telegram: "We are grateful for the special words spoken today at the solemn mass about the need for a just peace and for the attention given to Ukraine and our people.

"Every nation deserves to live in peace and security."

He offered his congratulations to the pope "on the beginning of such a special mission. May the prayers for a just peace and a dignified life for all people be heard".

As the dignitaries gathered for the start of the mass, Zelensky shook hands with Vance, whom he had not seen since their disastrous White House encounter on February 28.

In his Regina Coeli prayer at the end of the mass, Leo also noted that "in Gaza, children, families and elderly survivors are reduced to hunger".

And he recalled how "in Myanmar, new hostilities have destroyed innocent young lives".