🕊️ The Big Idea: Can the Church Be a Bridge to Peace in a Broken World?
Drew Mariani welcomed Ambassador Joseph Cella to talk about one of the most fascinating and hopeful developments in the world today: Pope Leo XIV potentially playing a central role in peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Yes, that Pope Leo: the first American-born Pope ever, and he’s already stirring hearts and history alike.
🏛️ Historic Invite: A Pope in Congress?
14 U.S. Representatives just asked Speaker Mike Johnson to formally invite Pope Leo to address a joint session of Congress.
Pope Leo is one of us, raised in America, and he carries the voice of 1.4 billion Catholics.
The hope is that he might speak about everything from the dignity of life to marriage, to justice, and most urgently… peace.
Vatican as “Switzerland” of Peace Talks?
President Trump and Pope Leo have both been actively promoting the Vatican as a potential neutral ground for peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
Pope Leo met with key Ukrainian religious leaders.
He’s already met with Zelensky.
He’s speaking publicly and consistently about building a “just and lasting peace.”
Meanwhile, Ambassador Cella sees this as a major upgrade from how the Vatican was ignored during the 2003 Iraq War. Back then, Pope John Paul II begged for peace, but world leaders shrugged. This time? People may be actually listening.
🌍 Can the Church Still Speak with Moral Authority?
Yes, and it has for centuries:
Benedict XV tried during WWI.
John Paul II sent messengers to Washington in 2003.
Francis hosted Israeli and Palestinian leaders in 2014.
And now, Leo XIV is stepping up with the same mission.
The Church has this legacy of moral realism: quiet, steady bridge-building. And according to Cella, Pope Leo is bringing leadership, presence, and prayer.
Putin vs. Zelensky: The Road Ahead
It’s complicated. Like, super complicated.
Zelensky is open to peace… desperate, even. He asked for a30-day ceasefire.
Putin, meanwhile, says a ceasefire just gives Ukraine time to reload.
Both sides are dug in, but Cella remains cautiously optimistic, especially with President Trump and Pope Leo pushing for peace.
He compared this effort to the Cold War and Vietnam, noting that real peace takes time, but the seeds are being planted.
VP Vance, Secretary Rubio, and a Bears Jersey?
In a beautiful moment of Church-meets-State:
VP J.D. Vance, a Catholic convert, met with Pope Leo and delivered a letter from Trump inviting him to the U.S.
He also handed the Pope a Chicago Bears jersey (because why not?).
It was a symbolic show of unity, as Vance (a new Catholic) and Rubio (a cradle Catholic) stood alongside the Pope: three American Catholics hoping for peace.
The Church still holds a unique, moral voice in the world, one that transcends politics and power. And now, with a Pope who literally walked the same soil we walk, we might just be witnessing a historic turn.
✝️🙏 Your Prayer Assignment (Yes, You Have Homework):
Say a prayer for Pope Leo XIV. Say one for peace. And maybe… just maybe… we’ll see history made right here on American soil.
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