spearheaded efforts to engage in global politics. He tried to act as a papal peacemaker, organiz- ing a prayer vigil early in his pon- tificate to avert the escalation of the conflict in Syria and working behind the scenes to restore U.S.- Cuban diplomatic ties. In May 2023, he sent Cardi-


nal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna as his peace envoy to Kyiv, Moscow, and Jerusalem to try to resolve the conflicts there.


62 NEWSMAX | APRIL 2025


The efforts were ultimately unsuccessful, and unguarded remarks by Francis upset both Ukraine and Israel. But he did much to contrib-


ute humanitarian aid to those caught up in the conflicts, send- ing his almoner, Cardinal Kon- rad Krajewski, on missions to the war-torn regions. Some of his strongest oppo-


sition has come from signing a highly controversial secret


agreement with Beijing on the appointment of bishops in 2018. Critics slammed the accord, influenced by the disgraced for- mer archbishop of Washington, D.C., Theodore McCarrick, as an “incredible betrayal” and “ab- solutely incomprehensible” as Beijing further clamped down on religious freedom and would propose episcopal candidates for the pope to approve. The Vatican said patience


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