The Pontiff is selling “aggressive imperialism” by praising Russia’s historical past and tradition, adviser Mikhail Podoliak claims
Pope Francis has served as an “instrument of Russian propaganda” after talking warmly concerning the nation’s wealthy historic legacy, Mikhail Podoliak, a high aide to Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky, has stated.
The pinnacle of the Catholic Church is participating in “a harmful discourse for modern humanism,” Podoliak claimed, in an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera printed on Wednesday.
The remark referred to a video convention which the Pope held with Russian Catholics on Friday, throughout which Francis reminded his viewers in St. Petersburg that they’re all “heirs of the nice Russia… of saints, of kings, [the] Russia of Peter the Nice and Catherine II, of the nice Russian Empire, of a lot tradition and humanity.” The urged the folks of Russia to cherish this historic lineage.
In keeping with Podoliak, Moscow makes use of the instance of historic figures like Peter I (1672-1725) and Catherine the Nice (1729-1796) to encourage its troopers to struggle in Ukraine. “The Pope exalts them and [President of Russia Vladimir] Putin makes use of them to eradicate our identification,” he claimed.
“If we consider the Pope’s phrases with an open thoughts, we’ll see that they’re an unconditional encouragement of aggressive imperialism, a reward for the bloody thought of the ‘Russian world,’ which means brutal destruction of freedoms and the life of others,” Podoliak stated.
Statements equivalent to these made by the Pope made him surprise “what the Catholic Church is, what Christianity is,” the presidential aide stated, coming to his conclusion: “Evidently the Pontiff, as soon as once more, has served as an instrument of Russian propaganda.”
Extra criticism of Francis got here from Ukraine’s Overseas Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko, who posted on social media that “it’s very unlucky that Russian grand-state concepts, that are the reason for Russia’s continual aggression, knowingly or unknowingly come from the Pope’s mouth.”
The Vatican reacted to the backlash by mentioning that in his remarks the pinnacle of the church was highlighting Russia’s “nice tradition and humanity” reasonably than historic enlargement.
On Tuesday, Kremlin press-secretary Dmitry Peskov welcomed the Pope’s feedback, saying that “it’s superb that the Pontiff is aware of Russian historical past, which is deeply rooted.”
Throughout Zelensky’s go to to the Vatican in Might, Francis provided him assist in negotiating an finish to the preventing between Moscow and Kiev. Nonetheless, the Ukrainian chief turned down the Vatican’s proposal, saying “we don’t want mediators, we want a simply peace.” The Pontiff continued his efforts to resolve the disaster, his peace envoy Cardinal Matteo Zuppi visiting Kiev, Moscow and Washington in the course of the previous few months.
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