Pope Francis is greeted by Hungary President Katalin Novak throughout the farewell ceremony on the Budapest International Airport in Budapest, Hungary, on Sunday.

Denes Erdos/AP

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Denes Erdos/AP

Pope Francis is greeted by Hungary President Katalin Novak throughout the farewell ceremony on the Budapest International Airport in Budapest, Hungary, on Sunday.

Denes Erdos/AP

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — Pope Francis stated Sunday the Vatican was prepared to assist facilitate the return of Ukrainian youngsters taken to Russia throughout the struggle, saying the Holy See had already helped mediate some prisoner exchanges and would do “all that is humanly possible” to reunite households.

“All human gestures help. Gestures of cruelty don’t help,” Francis stated throughout an airborne press convention en route house from Hungary.

Francis additionally revealed a secret peace “mission” was underneath manner. However, he gave no particulars when requested whether or not he spoke about peace initiatives throughout his talks in Budapest this weekend with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban or the consultant of the Russian Orthodox Church in Hungary.

“I’m available to do anything,” Francis stated. “There’s a mission that’s not public that’s underway; when it’s public I’ll talk about it.”

The International Criminal Court final month issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s youngsters’s commissioner, accusing them of struggle crimes for abducting youngsters from Ukraine.

Russia has denied any wrongdoing, contending the youngsters have been moved for his or her security.

Last week Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal met with Francis on the Vatican and requested him to assist return Ukrainian youngsters taken following the Russian invasion.

“I asked His Holiness to help us return home Ukrainians, Ukrainian children who are detained, arrested, and criminally deported to Russia,″ Shmyhal told the Foreign Press Association after the audience.

Francis recalled that the Holy See had facilitated some prisoner exchanges, working through embassies, and was open to Ukraine’s request to reunite Ukrainian children with their families.

The prisoner exchanges “went properly. I believe it may go properly additionally for this. It’s essential,” he said of the family reunifications. “The Holy See is on the market to do it as a result of it is the best factor,” he added. “We must do all that’s humanly potential.”