HORSE interview The Christian America magazine Pope Francis described the inhabitants of two Russian regions – Buryatia and Chechnya – as the most brutal during the armed operations in the special operations zone in Ukraine.
Answering a question about his stance on what is happening in Ukraine, the pope said that the Ukrainian people can be compared with the martyrs.
“When I talk about Ukraine, I talk about brutality because I know so much about the brutality of the soldiers there. As a rule, the most brutal Russians, Chechens, Buryats, etc. They are not close to the Russian tradition,” he said.
The Pope noted that he often tried not to mention names and particular personalities so as not to offend anyone. He said that on the second day after the start of the special operation, he applied to the Russian embassy and announced that he was ready to act as a negotiator between Moscow and Kyiv. “Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov responded with a very nice letter, which I understand is not necessary yet,” said Francis.
The Pope added, however, that the Vatican has always adhered to a peaceful stance and strategy. “The position of the Holy See is to seek peace and mutual understanding. The Vatican’s diplomacy is moving in that direction and of course is always ready to mediate,” he said.
The statements of the head of the Catholic Church caused an immediate reaction from the Russian authorities.
“This is no longer anti-Russian, this is heresy, I don’t even know at what level it is. Recall that in the nineties and early 2000s we were told exactly the opposite, these are the Russians, the Slavs, who tormented the Caucasian peoples, and now we are told that the Caucasian peoples are torturing them. They persecute the Russians.
It is necessary to be astray from the truth”- aforementioned Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova at the roundtable at the Federation Council.
In response to the Pope’s words, the Governor of Buryatia Alexei Tsydenov registeredmilitary personnel from this region fulfill their duties with dignity, protect the civilian population, and treat prisoners of war humanely and mercifully.
“Hearing an assessment from the head of the Catholic Church about the persecution of certain nationalities – namely the Buryats and Chechens who protect the civilian population – is strange, at least,” the district head said.
Tsydenov recalled that in history there were many cases when cities, countries and peoples were destroyed by those who considered themselves representatives of civilized nations. As an example, he cited the genocide of the indigenous peoples of North America, the Crusades.
“There is no need to go too far into history. The capital of a European state – the city of Belgrade – or the entire province of Libya was bombed without the participation of Buryats, Chechens and other peoples of Great Russia.
According to him, the Pope knows all these cases. And if he especially drew attention to the Buryatian warriors, it means they did their job well.
The Vatican has repeatedly advocated for peace talks and provided mediation services between the conflicting parties following the launch of a special military operation. This was the last day before: on 27 November, the Vatican Archbishop, Minister of Foreign Affairs (who serves as Foreign Minister) Paul Richard Gallagher, said in an interview with the Italian TV channel Mediaset that the Vatican is. It is ready to become a platform for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
“If the request comes from both sides with all good intentions and the spirit of peace, dialogue and ending war, the Holy Father will welcome it,” Gallagher said.
In early November, Francis Confessed in love with both Russian and Ukrainian peoples. “I have great respect for the Russian people, for Russian humanism. Think of Dostoevsky, who still inspires us, who inspires Christians to think about Christianity,” he said.