Cardinal Matteo Zuppi will be in Moscow June 28-29 “as the envoy of Pope Francis,” the Vatican announced today, on the second stage of a mission to explore ways to help bring an end to the war in Ukraine.

The Argentine bishops knew for certain as early as 1979 that it was the military junta’s official policy to “disappear” people in order to quash opposition. The Vatican urged the bishops’ conference to intervene using all possible means.

The synod’s working document, released at the Vatican on June 20, highlights three priorities for building a synodal church: communion, mission and participation.

Pope Francis’ recovery from an operation for an incisional hernia on June 7 has “progressed in a regular way,” and he will be discharged from hospital and return to the Vatican on Friday morning, June 16.

Pope Francis’ recovery from the operation for an incisional hernia is “progressing well,” but on the advice of his doctors, he will not recite the midday Angelus in public from Gemelli Hospital on Sunday.

Rome’s Gemelli hospital shared photographs of some drawings, cards and crafts that children and young adults recovering in its pediatric oncology ward had sent to Pope Francis during his recovery.