Vatican: Pope never intended to encourage modern-day Russian invasion in Ukraine

RELIGIOUS NEWS AGENCY (REDNA) – Following Pope`s recent remarks on praising Russia`s past heritages, Ukrainians got fury and asked Vatican for explanation.

So, the Vatican was forced to issue a statement saying the Pope never intended to encourage modern-day Russian aggression in Ukraine, but merely to praise the positive aspects of Russia’s spiritual and cultural history.

In his prepared text he encouraged the young people to be “artisans of peace” and to sow reconciliation in this “winter of war”.

The Pope has come under criticism for off the cuff remarks to Catholic young people in Russia about their heritage: “Never forget this inheritance. You are the heirs of the great Mother Russia. Go forward. And thank you. Thank you for your way of being, for your way of being Russian”.

His comment provoked fury from Ukraine’s Greek Catholic leader, His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, who said the words could be taken as encouragement of nationalism and imperialism.