Pope’s statement on the expression that provoked the reaction of Ukraine

Pope Francis on Friday last week in St. He participated by videoconference in the X Congress of Russian Catholic Youth, held in St. Petersburg.

In his speech here, the Pope used the following expressions, which provoked the reaction of Ukraine:

“Don’t forget your legacy. You are the great saints, the great Russia of the rulers, Peter I, II. You are descendants of the great Russia of Catherine, that empire of education, great culture and great humanity.

PODOLYAK’S FIRST REACTION

The first reaction to the Pope was Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the Office of the President of Ukraine. Stating that Russia uses the names mentioned by the Pope to keep the motivation of soldiers on the front lines high, Podolyak said: “The Pope glorifies them, while Putin uses them to destroy our identity. If we consider the Pope’s words with an open mind, we will see that it is an unconditional support for aggressive imperialism. It is a tribute to the bloody idea of ​​the ‘Russian world’ destroying the freedoms and lifestyles of others.”

“VERY UNFORGETTABLE”

Oleg Nikolenko, spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, said: “It is very unfortunate that the ideas of the ‘supreme state’, which are the cause of Russia’s chronic aggression, have come out of the pope’s mouth, consciously or unknowingly.” .

These words, criticized by kyiv, were asked of the Pope by journalists on the plane back from Ulan Bator to Rome after his four-day visit to Mongolia.

Pope Francis said he used the term “Greater Russia” in a cultural, not a geographical, sense.

Recalling that he had said, as usual: “Take care of your legacy” during a conversation with a group of young Russians, the Pope said: “I always repeat: take responsibility for your legacy.” I mentioned the idea of ​​a “Greater Russia” when I explained that I mean inheritance. Because the Russian heritage is very good and very beautiful. Think of literature and music that go back to (Fyodor) Dostoevsky, who tells us about mature humanism. As a third point, it might not be appropriate. Speaking of ‘Great Russia in a cultural, not a geographical sense, I remembered what they taught us in school: Peter I, Catherine II. Perhaps that was not entirely true. I don’t know, let the historians say it.”

SATISFIED WITH THE VISIT TO MONGOLIA

On the other hand, Pope Francis stated that the idea of ​​traveling to Mongolia arose from his desire to visit the small number of Catholic communities there, saying: “For me, this trip was to meet the people of Mongolia and to dialogue with them, know their culture, accompany them on their way to the Church with great respect for them and their culture. I am happy with the result, ”he stated.

“I HAVE A BIG FAMILY BECAUSE OF CHINA”

Recalling that the Chinese administration did not allow Catholic bishops in China to accompany him during his visit to neighboring Mongolia, he sent a “warm greeting” to China and called on Catholics in this country to be “good citizens”, the Pope said:

“Relations with China are extremely respectful. I personally have great admiration for the Chinese people, the channels are very clear, there is a commission that has been working for a long time with the Chinese government and the Vatican on the appointment of bishops. I believe that we must move forward religiously to better understand each other and that Chinese citizens do not think that the Church does not accept their culture and values ​​and that the Church depends on another foreign power. This friendly path is also widely followed by the Commission chaired by Cardinal (Pietro) Parolin. They are doing a good job and relations are also improving on the Chinese side. I have great respect for the Chinese people.”

ARE YOU GOING TO VIETNAM?

When asked if he would go to Vietnam, Pope Francis stated that there is mutual sympathy in his dialogues with Vietnam and that a Pope will surely visit this country.

“Both parties meant well to understand each other and look for ways to move forward. There have been problems, but I think sooner or later they will be overcome in Vietnam. As for the trip to Vietnam, if I don’t go (with a hypothetical example), 24 John will definitely go. It will definitely be a visit, because it is a country that deserves progress and with which I sympathize.”

Asked what other trips he plans to take, Pope Francis, 86, said: “There’s Marseille, then there’s a little country in Europe. We are seeing if we can do that. To tell the truth, going on a journey for me is no longer as easy as it was at the beginning. There are restrictions on walking, which limits me, but we’ll see.”