Over the weekend, Pope Francis was strongly criticized by Ukrainian civil and church leaders for a comment he made in an interview, saying that Ukraine needed “the courage of the white flag” to negotiate with Russia for peace. In response to the criticism, the Holy See Press Office issued a statement saying that the pope had used the image of the white flag, which was introduced by the interviewer, to refer to protections for negotiations.
On this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell and host Colleen Dulle examine the pope’s comments and give an update on the Holy See’s diplomatic push for peace both in Ukraine and Gaza.
In the second half of the show, Colleen and Gerry commemorate the 11th anniversary of Pope Francis’ election. Gerry tells the story of the night he knew then-Cardinal Bergoglio would be elected, and the hosts look ahead to Pope Francis’ to-do list for the remainder of his pontificate.
Links from the show:
- After backlash, Vatican clarifies Pope Francis’ call for Ukraine to have ‘courage of the white flag’
- Vatican diplomats seek to defuse outrage over Pope Francis’ Ukraine ‘white flag’ comments
- Inside the Vatican’s Deep Dive: Everyone has an opinion about the pope. But how does Pope Francis understand his past 10 years?
- The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Account of the Conclave that Changed History by Gerard O’Connell
