"The IOR does not receive or invest money from Russia," read a statement by the Institute for Religious Works, using the Italian acronym IOR for the institution more commonly referred to as the Vatican Bank. "The IOR strongly rejects the allegations of the Councillor, according to whom the IOR would be investing Russian money."

The Vatican Bank insisted the institute only provides financial services to Catholic organisations and that it is held to the highest possible international standards.

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The pope's comments were made during a video conference with Russian Catholic youth, where his comments were misconstrued as an endorsement of present-day Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Matteo Bruni, the Vatican spokesperson, emphasised that Pope Francis had aimed to laud the positive aspects of Russia's spiritual and cultural history rather than endorse contemporary Russian imperialism.

Francis "certainly didn't want to exalt imperialistic logic or government personalities who were cited to indicate certain historic periods of reference," Bruni said in a statement.

The Pope's accolades for historical figures like Peter and Catherine the Great were meant to highlight Russia's cultural heritage and its distinctive "Russian-ness."

In a prepared text, Pope Francis encouraged the young Russian audience to be champions of peace and reconciliation. However, he stressed the importance of remembering their heritage during his impromptu remarks.

"Never forget your inheritance. You are the heirs of the great Russia. The great Russia of the saints, of the kings, of the great Russia of Peter the Great, of Catherine II, that great imperial Russia, cultivated, with so much culture and humanity," Francis said, according to the video clip.

"…You are the heirs of the great Mother Russia, go forward. And thank you. Thank you for your way of being, for your way of being Russian."

The Vatican didn't publish the comments, but they were shared on social media following Francis' video conference with a Catholic youth encounter in St Petersburg.

Pope's comments praised and criticised

Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin, praised Pope Francis' nuanced understanding of Russian history. Peskov also noted that Russian educational institutions were actively engaging in efforts to educate younger generations about their heritage.

The head of Ukraine's Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, registered strong dissatisfaction with the Pope's statements, interpreting them as an endorsement of nationalism and Russian imperialism that have contributed to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Shevchuk's response highlighted the association between the Pope's comments and the distressing implications for the war-torn region.

The Vatican's embassy in Kyiv promptly distanced itself from these interpretations, affirming that Pope Francis did not advocate imperialistic ideas. The embassy's statement emphasised the Pope's consistent stance against imperialism and colonialism in all forms and contexts.

This incident isn't the first time Pope Francis has faced criticism for his comments on the Ukraine conflict. The Pope has previously sparked both outrage and agreement with his spontaneous remarks.

On one occasion, Francis appeared to rationalise Russia's actions by highlighting NATO's expansion towards Russia's borders.

Conversely, the pontiff also drew Moscow's ire when he appeared to place blame on ethnic minorities rather than Russian forces for the severity of the conflict.

Sources

Religion News

CNBC

CathNews New Zealand

Francis later assured a top Ukrainian Greek Catholic leader he would do "everything I can" to help.

Usually, popes receive ambassadors and heads of state in the Vatican. Diplomatic protocol would have called for the Vatican foreign minister to summon the Russian ambassador.

It was a sign of his anger at Moscow's invasion, and his willingness to appeal personally for an end to hostilities, that saw Francis break with protocol and travel the short distance to the Russian Embassy.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed the visit, and officials said they knew of no such previous papal initiative.

"The Holy See press office confirms that the pope went to the Russian Embassy to the Holy See on Via della Conciliazione, clearly to express his concern about the war. He was there for just over a half-hour," Bruni said.

Ambassador Aleksandr Avdeyev told Russian media: "The focus of the conversation was the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. Pope Francis expressed great concern for the situation of the entire population, both in the Donbas (in Eastern Ukraine) and in other areas, and called for the protection of children, the protection of the sick and suffering, the protection of people".

Avdeev also categorically denied to the Rome correspondent of the Russian news agency TASS that Pope Francis had offered to mediate the conflict, an idea reported by the Argentine news agency Télam.

The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church welcomed Francis' protocol-bending diplomatic intervention. He said he hoped it would help dialogue prevail over force.

His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk said the pope later phoned him in Kyiv and assured him, "I will do everything I can".

"In particular, the pope praised the decision to remain with the people and to be at the service of the neediest". This included opening the basement of Resurrection Cathedral in Kyiv as a bomb shelter. It was already being used by dozens of people including families with children.

"The Holy Father assured His Beatitude Sviatoslav of his closeness, support and prayers" the press office said. At the end of the call, the pope gave his blessing to the Ukrainian people.

Ukrainian supporters gather at the Vatican on Sunday for Angelus prayer.

Angelus prayer

On Sunday, as people gathered in St Peter's Square for the midday recitation of the Angelus prayer, Pope Francis said his heart was "broken" by the war in Ukraine, and he pleaded again, "Silence the weapons!"

"Many times, we prayed that this path would not be taken," he said, but rather than giving up "we beg God more intensely."

With many of the people in the square holding Ukrainian flags, Pope Francis greeted them the way they traditionally greet each other, "Slava Isusu Chrystu," meaning, "Glory to Jesus Christ."

Francis has also called for dialogue to end the conflict and has urged the faithful to set Ash Wednesday as a day of fasting and prayer for peace in Ukraine.

Sources

• Religion News Service
• Catholic News Service
• America Magazine
• Catholic News Service