Pope Francis' controversies over the Ukraine war do not stop. First, for appearing lukewarm towards the war. Then for having criticized Kyiv's past decisions in some way. And more recently for highlighting tsars linked to the Russian Empire in a speech. Laura Pettinaroli (Paris, 1980), director of studies at the French School in Rome, specialist in Vatican diplomacy, religion, politics and Russia, insists: “You have to understand the context.”
What is the Pope looking for by citing Great Russia and the Russian Empire as he did in August with all that that entails in front of Kyiv?
You have to understand the context. She had given a long speech about the bond of young people with elders and then there was a final greeting citing the Russian past. It was very difficult for him to find positive references, and those that existed, he accepted: Peter the Great and Catherine the Great were emperors with strong ties to Europe and during their reigns Catholicism also progressed in the Orthodox Empire. Referring to Russian religious history and its saints beyond that was difficult, because they are Orthodox and the two churches remain separate. Russian Catholic saints, moreover, were often victims of persecution in the repressions of the tsarist or Soviet era. It was difficult to give examples to follow to the small Catholic community in today's Russia, but he cited them after asking the youth to be "a sign of hope, peace and joy" and "sow seeds of reconciliation."
In some way the Pope wants Russia back in Europe?
Pope John Paul II always said he was dependent on two lungs in Europe. Francis does not use this metaphor, but to a certain extent it is always there and that is why he remembers in his speech the examples of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great, emperors, as I said, with strong ties to Europe and present as a European power.
If the past leads only to controversies, why mention it?
In September the Pope explained to Ukrainian Catholics that “true pain occurs when the cultural heritage of a people undergoes a 'distillation', is subjected to manipulation by a state power and, as a result, is transformed into an ideology that destroys and kills.” ”. He maintains that he did not want to go into ideology, only to remember moments from the past, and, on the other hand, the press office of the Holy See already explained that the Pope did not intend to exalt imperialist logic and government personalities but rather “cite them to indicate certain historical periods.” reference".
Francisco may have adapted his speech to his audience to reach them, but it is logical to think that he knew it would generate controversy... Is he aware of it and is it part of a long-term strategy?
Talking to everyone is a tradition of the Holy See. The Pope, probably without trying to generate controversy, seeks to maintain his freedom of expression, even if he is not liked by everyone, even if it is not mainstream and is not welcomed by everyone. This freedom of expression and the sometimes violent reaction it provokes is something that has often occurred since the 19th century, both in international relations and in the field of ethics and morals.
At the beginning of the war his lukewarm position already caused him problems.
At the beginning of the war the Holy See tried to find a balance, but then, little by little, it became clearer and at the end of August 2022 it issued a statement that said: “Concerning the large-scale war in Ukraine initiated by the Russian Federation , the interventions of the Holy Father Francis are clear and unequivocal in condemning it as morally unjust, unacceptable, barbaric, meaningless, repugnant and sacrilegious.” There has never been anything against Ukraine in the Pope's words. And there is a whole humanitarian action to help her from the beginning. But yes, the Holy See tries to maintain a future perspective in which there would be a peace that must be built and that is why it does not renounce the possibility of dialogue. It is a very strong commitment with the mission of Matteo Maria Zuppi, who already went to Moscow in June, who is about to return, and who also went to China. The Holy See strives to have confidential diplomacy, or at least about which not much is known, to maintain dialogue on peace in Ukraine.
And what can you expect from it?
Cardinal Zuppi's mission aims, at least officially, to open or encourage negotiations for humanitarian intervention and is a path that can see positive results. The Vatican plays with multiple levels and media, although it is a fragile power on the international scene and cannot do anything other than work with the available tools: the voice of the Pope and its pastoral dimension, the diplomacy of the Holy See with the secretariat of State and nuncios, but also other media such as bishops and local churches and even the diplomatic network of Sant'Egidio and other Catholic organizations with a strong charitable and supportive imprint. It is something that already existed before but whose power is weak. Things change if there are States that can also support the Holy See, but at the moment it is not very clear.
Is the Holy See afraid of being seen as pro-Western, not neutral?
The Holy See tries to maintain its impartiality. Together with the Pope he has sought to promote a Church that is not aligned with the old Western world. Furthermore, there is a symbol of this effort in the history of its relations with Russia. In 2016, Pope Francis met with the Patriarch of Moscow, Kirill, precisely in Cuba, insisting that this meeting took place “far from the old disputes of the Old World.”
Vatican diplomacy has gone through controversial moments in history before, for example due to its position in the Second World War, the Holocaust, etc. Has your strategy changed?
In the diplomacy of the Holy See the great principles have not changed much. For the Catholic Church it is always a fratricidal war between brothers and it is necessary to maintain a certain level of impartiality. During the first half of the 20th century, maintaining it often resulted in a refusal to denounce the aggressor, which gave rise to very strong international controversies. This situation has gradually changed with the development of international law and multilateral organizations such as the UN. In this way, the Holy See could more easily denounce armed conflicts, the use of certain weapons and promote peace. At the same time, the development around the Second Vatican Council of an ecclesiology that emphasizes dialogue between the Church and the world allowed it a discourse in defense of the human person, fundamental rights and peace as part of its own religious mission.
Cyril Hovorun, former right-hand man of the Patriarch of Moscow, Putin's supporter, told this newspaper that there is an alliance between pro-Putin US evangelicals, anti-Francis Catholics and the Russian Church. Do you believe it? Is the position of Francis and the Vatican influenced by the possible division within the Church?
The internal divisions of the Catholic Church are probably articulated with other international political or religious alignments. However, I believe that the overwhelming majority of the Catholic Church, at least in Europe, is in a logic of solidarity with Ukraine, as seen recently with the warm welcome to young Ukrainians during World Youth Days.
One of Putin's speeches is that the West attacks the traditional family and Russian national tradition, an area that is also debated in other conservative Catholic groups.
The defense of family values and respect for life from conception to natural end have been an important point of dialogue between the Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches since the 1990s, as demonstrated by collaborations around a “doctrine "Christian social" or the joint declaration of the Pope and the Patriarch in 2016. In the past, an alliance has been clearly drawn around these issues or the recognition of the "Christian roots" of Europe, both Western and Eastern. However, since the beginning of the war, these issues have been much less present in the Pope's speech because the urgency lies elsewhere, in stopping the fighting and the “rivers of blood and tears,” in his words.
