The ruckus over the pope’s comments once again put the Vatican’s diplomatic corps in the position of having to smooth over Francis’ informal, off-the-cuff way of speaking.
Ukraine
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
After backlash, Vatican clarifies Pope Francis’ call for Ukraine to have ‘courage of the white flag’
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmitro Kuleba, said on Sunday that Ukraine will “never” raise the white flag to negotiate with Russia, and criticized the pope’s remarks for asking to do just this.
Posted inPolitics & Society, Vatican Dispatch
A Ukranian Catholic priest assesses the war with Russia 2 years in: our spirit is ‘unbreakable’
“If you talk today with the widows who have lost their husbands, and mothers who have lost their sons, you will understand why Russia did not succeed.”
Posted inFaith, News
Recovered from illness, Pope Francis asks Mary to watch over Ukrainians, Palestinians, Israelis
After a canceled trip to Dubai due to a bronchial infection, Pope Francis went into the center of Rome to continue the tradition of praying before the elevated statue of Mary next to the Spanish Steps.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Archbishop Gudziak: ‘If Russia puts down arms, the war’s over. If Ukraine puts down arms, Ukraine’s over.’
The Ukrainian Catholic archbishop of Philadelphia and Metropolitan for the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the United States speaks about his church’s synod and its meeting with Pope Francis.
Posted inPolitics & Society
Russia ready to receive Pope Francis’ peace envoy again after Cardinal Zuppi’s Beijing visit
As Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Pope Francis’ special envoy for peace in Ukraine, concluded his three-day visit to Beijing, surprising news came from Moscow.
Posted inPolitics & Society, Vatican Dispatch
China has agreed to receive Pope Francis’ Ukraine peace envoy after long delay
Pope Francis announced several times that he hoped Cardinal Zuppi would go to Beijing on a peace mission, but it has taken a long time for the Chinese to agree to accept him.
Posted inPolitics & Society, Vatican Dispatch
Ukrainian bishops tell Pope Francis his praise for Russian heritage was painful and disappointing
The Ukrainian bishops did not hold back during a nearly two-hour private audience with the pope.
Posted inFaith, News
Pope Francis stirs controversy by urging young Russians to be proud of their heritage
The head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church said Ukrainians were shocked when Pope Francis told Russian Catholic youths to be proud of their heritage and cited two historic Russian leaders that, the archbishop said, are “the worst example of imperialism and extreme Russian nationalism.”
Posted inArts & Culture, Books
Review: Henri Nouwen’s profound encounters in Ukraine
Henri Nouwen’s observations in ‘Ukraine Diary’ are even more relevant today than they were at the time of his writing, offering valuable insight into the ongoing tragedy of the war in Ukraine.