Article Author:
Associated Press
Frances D'Emilio
ROME (AP) — Vatican moves on defense Tuesday Pope Francis said he clearly sees the war started by Russia as "senseless, disgusting and blasphemous", arguing that he was not being tough enough about Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Stated.
Last week, Ukraine summoned its top papal diplomats to complain about Francis' recent comments. At the previous day's audience at the Vatican, Francis called a "poor girl" a Russian state television commentator killed in a car bomb in Moscow. Sign up to receive daily top stories from National Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.
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Francis talks about the murder of Daria Dugina, daughter of Russian right-wing political theorist Alexander Dugin and a staunch supporter of the war. I was.
Russia has accused Ukrainian intelligence services of the bombing, which Ukraine denies.
Francis also said in her remarks that Ukrainian and Russian orphans were among her "innocent people" victims of the "madness of war." .
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba summoned the Vatican ambassador to Kyiv last week and told reporters that "the hearts of Ukrainians are being torn by the Pope's words."
In a statement, the Vatican appeared to be working hard on damage control on Tuesday.
"The Pope's words on this dramatic issue should be read as a voice in defense of human life and the values associated with it, and not as a political position," said the Vatican. said. "I condemn Pope Francis' intervention in the wide-ranging war in Ukraine initiated by the Russian Federation as morally unjust, unacceptable, barbaric, meaningless, offensive and blasphemous.
On the same day Ukraine condemned the Pope's remarks, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church canceled a meeting with Francis scheduled for September.
Francis says he would like to go to Ukraine if he can further the cause of peace, but so far logistical problems have made that trip difficult for the 85-year-old Pope, who has mobility problems.
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