Pope Francis has called for prayer for the Korean Peninsula and Ukraine. 

According to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea on Tuesday, the pope met the head of the Korean bishops’ conference, Bishop Mathias Lee Yong-hoon, on Monday and asked for prayers that Ukraine and the two Koreas will go in the path of peace and stability. 

The 266th head of the Roman Catholic Church has repeatedly indicated that he is willing to visit North Korea, calling for peace on the Korean Peninsula. 

During the meeting with visiting Korean clergies, the pontiff also noted that the growth of the Korean Catholic church began with laypeople, and urged Korean Catholic church members to emulate their ancestors, stressing efforts to grow the faith of young Koreans. 

Lee and other officials had visited the Vatican to discuss the beatification of Korean martyrs including Choi Yang-eop as well as other matters.