It happened during the Cold War, when Pope John Paul II's "historic trip to Poland in 1979 marked the beginning of the end of the Polish communist regime" — and, ultimately, the end of the Soviet Union.
Can Pope Francis play a similar role in the war between Russia and Ukraine?
On May 13, Pope Francis met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss the conflict.
At the start of the war, White says, "Pope Francis seemingly went out of his way to placate Vladimir Putin. He deplored the 'barking of NATO at Russia's doors,' saying, 'I can't say if (Russia's) anger was provoked, but facilitated, maybe yes.'"
Francis has sounded less nuanced of late, condemning Putin's war and demanding he end the violence.
But he has stopped short of calling from an unconditional Russian surrender.
"Francis has actively positioned himself to be a neutral arbiter who can mediate a final settlement between the warring parties," argues White.
But that just won't cut it with Zelensky. "We don't need a mediator between Ukraine and the aggressor that's seized and occupied our territory," he said after his meeting with Francis.
Francis wants to play the role of mediator. "But after Zelensky's visit to the Vatican, Pope Francis's insistent prayer to serve as an instrument for peace remains unanswered."
Read the op-ed at TheHill.com.
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