The Vatican asks not to consider the Popeʼs statements about the war as a political position

The press service of the Holy See issued a communiqué, which stated that Pope Francis condemns the war that Russia started against Ukraine, and his statements on this topic should not be considered a political position.

The text of the communiqué states that since the beginning of the war, the Pope and the monks of the Throne were supposed to make public statements, but it was in recent days that the debate about the pontiffʼs statements being political has flared up.

The press service of the Holy See emphasized: "The Holy Father’s words on this dramatic issue should be interpreted as a voice raised in defence of human life and the values associated with it, and not as a political stance. As for the large-scale war in Ukraine, initiated by the Russian Federation, the Holy Father Francisʼ interventions are clear and unequivocal in condemning it as morally unjust, unacceptable, barbaric, senseless, repugnant, and sacrilegious."

• A few days ago, Pope Francis called the daughter of the main ideologist of the "Russian world" Aleksandr Dugin "an innocent victim of the war.
• On the evening of August 20, a car exploded in the suburbs of Moscow, in which was Darya Dugina, the daughter of the Russian philosopher and ideologist of the "Russian World" Aleksandr Dugin. She died on the spot. 29-year-old Darya worked as a journalist and supported Russiaʼs war against Ukraine. In March 2022, it was added to the US sanctions list, and in June, it came under the sanctions of Great Britain.
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited the Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine and emphasized that Ukraine is deeply disappointed by the pontiffʼs words, which unfairly equate the aggressor and the victim.