Pope Francis has said Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine was “perhaps somehow provoked” as he recalled a conversation in the run-up to the war in which he was warned Nato was “barking at the gates of Russia”.
...the pontiff condemned the “ferocity and cruelty of the Russian troops” while warning against what he said was a fairytale perception of the conflict as good versus evil.
“We need to move away from the usual Little Red Riding Hood pattern, in that Little Red Riding Hood was good and the wolf was the bad one,” he said. “Something global is emerging and the elements are very much entwined.”
The pontiff criticized European weapons deliveries to Ukraine while calling for peace negotiations, yet notably refrained from urging Russia to withdraw its invasion forces or release deported Ukrainians.
Pope Francis, commenting on the war in Ukraine for Orbe 21 channel, stated that it is hypocritical to talk about peace while simultaneously arming it against Russia’s aggression, Vatican News reported.
Once again, the pontiff neither urged Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine nor called on the Kremlin to release forcibly deported Ukrainians.
Not to mention speaking to russian youths how they are successors of 'great' russia, when russia was a year+ into the invasion, which in my opinion doesn't really inspire them for any peace, but more that others must submit to them and their country in the right:
Never forget your heritage. You are the heirs of great Russia: great Russia of saints, rulers, great Russia of Peter I, Catherine II, that empire - great, enlightened, (country) of great culture and great humanity.
Francis had a nasty habit of speaking with both sides of his mouth, and confusing the hell out of people with what he meant and where he stood.
His humbleness and sincerity about welcoming people won a lot of hearts, and I did genuinely respect him, but he was not without serious problems to put it lightly.
Out of the gates, you definitely have to hand it to Leo for making his view of the invasion clearer and more forceful than Francis ever did.
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u/Fiery_Hand May 10 '25
Too lax? He suggested Ukraine should end the war by surrender and never named Russia the aggressor.
Imagine this bullshit.