• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Pope Francis meets with U.S. Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in the library of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican Aug. 21, 2023. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

Pope, top U.S. military officer discuss war in Ukraine

August 22, 2023
By Catholic News Service
Catholic News Service
Filed Under: Feature, News, War in Ukraine, World News

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The top-ranking U.S. military officer told reporters he and Pope Francis discussed the war in Ukraine, especially the war’s impact on the people there.

Gen. Mark A. Milley, a Catholic, who as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the principal military adviser to the president, traveled to the Vatican Aug. 21 for a private meeting with the pope.

On his plane later, Milley told reporters traveling with him that the pope is “obviously very concerned about the hundreds of thousands of people who have been killed and wounded and the innocent civilian lives that have been lost.”

U.S. Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, gives Pope Francis a copy of “The Constitution of the United States of America: And Selected Writings of the Founding Fathers” during a meeting in the library of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican Aug. 21, 2023. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

“He’s very interested in hearing my views on the state of the war and the status of the war, and the human tragedy that’s unfolded in Ukraine,” the general said, according to a report by Agence France-Presse.

Milley also said he and the pope discussed other issues, including talking “a lot about Africa,” AFP reported.

The pope’s “depth of knowledge of world events is quite impressive,” the general said, adding that it was “a real privilege” to meet and speak with the pope.

Milley arrived in the library of the Apostolic Palace with a bag of rosaries, which Pope Francis blessed.

After their private conversation, they were joined by Milley’s wife, Hollyanne, and by Joe Donnelly, U.S. ambassador to the Holy See.

Pope Francis gave the general a bronze sculpture inscribed with the words, “Peace is a fragile flower.”

Milley has been a strong advocate for U.S. military assistance to Ukraine.

At a news conference July 18 after a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a coalition of 54 nations, Milley told reporters, “We stand firm in our ironclad commitment to provide practical support to Ukraine as it continues to defend its independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.”

He described Russia’s full-scale attack on Ukraine as “not only an illegal war of aggression, it’s also an unnecessary war against a country that presented no military threat to Russia, an unnecessary, unjust, illegal war of aggression.”

Pope Francis, who constantly calls for prayers for peace in Ukraine and an end to the war, also has questioned the wisdom of continuing to send arms into the region, although he also has recognized Ukraine’s right to defend itself from an aggressor.

“The din of weapons drowns out attempts at dialogue,” he said Aug. 15, the feast of the Assumption of Mary as he entrusted prayers for peace to her.

The pope also has sent Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna to Kyiv, Moscow and Washington as his peace envoy.

Read More Crisis in Ukraine

Pope to Ukrainian Greek Catholics: ‘God will have the last word,’ ‘life will conquer death’

Pope Leo XIV’s diplomatic efforts may impact U.S. foreign policy, analyst says

Vatican can take 3 key steps to bring Ukrainian kids back from Russia, says child advocate

Kyiv’s historic cathedral damaged in Russian air strikes

Yes, it’s our war, too

Pope speaks by phone with Russian leader Putin

Copyright © 2023 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Catholic News Service

Click here to view all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Prince of Peace merges with St. Francis de Sales in Harford County

  • Detroit archbishop fires theologians Ralph Martin, Eduardo Echeverría from seminary

  • Construction underway on new north addition to St. Joseph’s Nursing Home 

  • Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants

  • Archbishop Wenski leads Knights on Bikes to pray rosary at Alligator Alcatraz

| Latest Local News |

Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants

Third annual gun buyback scheduled for Aug. 9

Driver arrested after crashing into entrance of Esperanza Center

Construction underway on new north addition to St. Joseph’s Nursing Home 

Prince of Peace merges with St. Francis de Sales in Harford County

| Latest World News |

Can’t afford a Catholic college? Think again. Many offer full tuition options

Detroit archbishop fires theologians Ralph Martin, Eduardo Echeverría from seminary

LA archbishop, joined by business leaders, starts fund to help families affected by ICE raids

FBI surveilled SSPX priest amid probe of suspected neo-Nazi’s plans for violence

Poland’s ‘living memorial’ to St. John Paul II marks 25 years of transforming lives

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Can’t afford a Catholic college? Think again. Many offer full tuition options
  • Detroit archbishop fires theologians Ralph Martin, Eduardo Echeverría from seminary
  • LA archbishop, joined by business leaders, starts fund to help families affected by ICE raids
  • FBI surveilled SSPX priest amid probe of suspected neo-Nazi’s plans for violence
  • Poland’s ‘living memorial’ to St. John Paul II marks 25 years of transforming lives
  • Our faith is not afraid of questions
  • Catholic ‘American Ninja Warrior’ fights world hunger, one obstacle at a time
  • Parishes need to launch ‘revolution of care’ for the elderly, pope says
  • Broglio: Church teaching obligates the faithful to support pastoral care of migrants

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

en Englishes Spanish
en en