After a close aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Pope Francis of being a Russophile, and the Vatican of receiving Russian funds, the Catholic Church issued a statement denying the accusations on Sunday (Sept 10). “The IOR does not receive or invest money from Russia,” read a statement by the Institute for Religious Works, Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Pope Francis and Russia’
Pope defends his controversial praise of Russian imperialism
Thursday, August 31st, 2023
In a bid to quell the controversy that erupted following Pope Francis’ recent remarks praising Russian imperialism, the Vatican has moved to clarify his statements. The pope’s comments were made during a video conference with Russian Catholic youth, where his comments were misconstrued as an endorsement of present-day Russian aggression in Ukraine. Matteo Bruni, the Read more
Pope makes unprecedented visit to Russian Embassy
Monday, February 28th, 2022
In an unprecedented papal gesture, Pope Francis has travelled to the Russian Embassy in Rome to personally “express his concern about the war” in Ukraine. Francis later assured a top Ukrainian Greek Catholic leader he would do “everything I can” to help. Usually, popes receive ambassadors and heads of state in the Vatican. Diplomatic protocol Read more