Archbishop Borys Gudziak, the Ukrainian Catholic Archbishop of Philadelphia, says that Pope Francis has been stymied in his efforts to speak with Russian President Putin.

The archbishop said that he had been informed the Pope sought the intercession of Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, but received no answer. “But I think that will change,” Archbishop Gudziak said, adding that he hopes the Russian Orthodox hierarchy—which to date has been careful not to criticize the Russian invasion in Urkaine—will “open up and hear the Gospel.”