Pope Decries Russian ‘Cruelty’ In Ukraine But Suggests War Was ‘Provoked’

Topline

Pope Francis once again criticized the “brutality and ferocity” of Russian troops in their ongoing invasion of Ukraine in a conversation with the European Jesuit media published on Tuesday, statements which come after the Catholic leader previously indicated his willingness meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a possible end to the war.

Key Facts

In the interview published on La Civilta Cattolica, the Pope slammed Russia’s “monstrous” actions in Ukraine, pointing specifically to its use of Chechen and Syrian mercenaries in the conflict.

The Pope said the Russians miscalculated by thinking the conflict would be over in a week and instead encountered brave Ukrainians who “are struggling to survive and who have a history of struggle.”

Despite his criticism of Moscow’s actions, the leader of the Catholic church said it would be too simplistic to view the conflict through the lens of “good guys and bad guys.”

Pope Francis noted that a few months before the invasion, a “wise” head of state had expressed concerns to him about NATO “barking at the gates of Russia” and warned the situation could lead to war.

The Pope then pondered if the war was somehow “provoked or not prevented.”

The Catholic leader also described a forty-minute conversation he had with Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox church, where he pushed back after Kirill tried to offer reasons to justify the war.

Crucial Quote

“Someone may say to me at this point: so you are pro-Putin! No, I am not…I am simply against reducing complexity to the distinction between good guys and bad guys without reasoning about roots and interests, which are very complex,” the Pope said during the interview.

Tangent

Despite his unwillingness to paint the situation as either black or white, the Pope hailed the bravery of the Ukrainian people. He noted that Ukrainian women took care of captured Russian soldiers and mercenaries with “great humanity, great tenderness.” He added he would “really like to emphasize…the heroism of the Ukrainian people.”

Key Background

Last month, Pope Francis said he was prepared to meet Putin in person to help stop the conflict but noted the Russian leader did not want to have the meeting at that time. In that interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, the Pope said the “brutality” of Russia’s invading troops was similar to what he witnessed during the Rwandan genocide in 1994. While the Catholic leader has spoken out against war and criticized Russia’s invasion, he courted some controversy in April after announcing plans to include a prayer written jointly by Russians and Ukrainians during Good Friday celebrations in Rome. The plan was later dropped following protests from Ukrainian priests who argued that it downplayed Russia’s role as the aggressor in the conflict.

Further Reading

Pope raps Russian ‘cruelty’ in Ukraine, says invasion violates nation’s rights (Reuters)

Pope Francis in Conversation with the Editors of European Jesuit Journals (La Civilta Cattolica)

Pope Seeks Putin Meeting And Compares Russian ‘Brutality’ To Rwandan Genocide (Forbes)