Topline
Pope Francis said he’s offered to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in an interview published Tuesday that included his firmest condemnation yet of Putin, comparing the violence Putin has overseen during Russia’s war with Ukraine to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Pope Francis, right, meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Vatican in 2013.
Key Facts
The Vatican told Russia the Pope wants a meeting in Moscow with Putin, Pope Francis said to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, but has yet to hear a response about the meeting, according to Reuters’ translation of his comments.
In the interview, Pope Francis called the “brutality” exhibited by Russian forces during the war under Putin’s watch the “same thing” he witnessed in Rwanda in 1994 when an estimated one million Tutsi were killed.
Over 3,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed thus far during the war, according to the United Nations’ latest estimates, and Russia has been accused of committing genocide against Ukrainians President Joe Biden, among others.
This is the first time Pope Francis addressed Putin by name since Russia invaded Ukraine and the Pope has mostly expressed neutrality on the conflict while strongly condemning the violence.
Crucial Quote
“I fear that Putin cannot, and does not, want to have this meeting at this time. But how is it possible to not stop such brutality? Twenty-five years ago, we lived through the same thing with Rwanda,” Pope Francis said according to a translation from AFP.
Tangent
The TASS state-run Russian news agency published an article Tuesday covering Pope Francis’ comments, focusing on his stated intentions to go to Moscow and not Kyiv as an apparent way to insinuate the Pope is siding with Russia, despite the damning nature of his comments. TASS did not include the Pope’s reference to Rwanda or any negative comments about Putin.
Surprising Fact
Pope Francis faced strong backlash last month over plans to include a meditation written jointly by Russian and Ukrainian families as part of a Good Friday celebration in Rome to signal unity. The meditation was later removed from the service after Ukrainian clergy said the prayer downplayed Russia’s role as the aggressor.
Further Reading
Pope wants to meet Putin, compares Ukraine war to Rwanda (France 24)
The pope may pray for Putin — but he’s clinging to neutrality on Ukraine (Politico)
Pope’s Russia-Ukraine ‘Good Friday’ Plan Draws Kyiv’s Ire (Bloomberg)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2022/05/03/pope-seeks-putin-meeting-and-compares-russian-brutality-to-rwandan-genocide/