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According to the nun, she didn’t know about it before the will was read to her.
A Spanish Dominican nun says she learned only after Pope Francis’ death that he had quietly set aside money to bolster her humanitarian missions in Ukraine.
In a report from Dec 2. by Flama Agency, cited by ReligionDigital, the nun, Lucia Caram, explained that she didn’t know about the donation before the reading of the late Pope’s will and was intended to pay for ambulances for front-line evacuations.
In Ukraine more than 20 times
According to the Dec. 2 report, Luice Caram said Francis had previously hinted at offering help but never suggested it would come through his estate.
So when the donation was revealed to her, she was deeply surprise.
Caram has traveled to Ukraine more than 20 times since Russia launched its full-scale assault, coordinating medical transport and emergency assistance through the Santa Clara Convent Foundation in Manresa
Her work often placed her in regions under fire, where teams moved the wounded out of towns struck by missile and artillery attacks.
The controversial quotes
Despite Francis’ frequent denunciations of the invasion, his standing in Ukraine was complicated by remarks in 2024 urging Kyiv to show “courage” and “raise the white flag” to pursue talks with Moscow — a statement that drew sharp criticism from Ukrainian officials.
Caram alluded to this tension during the interview but emphasized his private support for humanitarian work.
She said the posthumous donation reflected the pastoral concern she had witnessed in their meetings.
New papal era
Caram also spoke about her August audience with Pope Leo XIV, elected in May after Francis’ death. She described him as reserved but forthright, noting that he spent nearly an hour discussing Ukraine with her, more time than many senior church leaders received.
According to her account, Leo XIV is “a pope who speaks little, observant, cautious, and prudent,” yet “when he does speak, he tells things clearly.”
His early months as pontiff have centered on urging “a just and lasting peace” and signaling that the Vatican is prepared to host negotiations.
While President Volodymyr Zelensky has welcomed that stance, Russian officials have dismissed the prospect.
Sources: Betevé, Dec. 2 report, ReligionDigital, additional context from international news agencies.
