The ‘Cunning’ Intention of Pope Francis to Visit Russia at the Expense of War in Ukraine

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OCP News Service – 11/5/2022

Rome-Vatican City: Pope Francis has expressed his desire to visit Moscow to meet President Putin to persuade him to stop the war in Ukraine. However, he is not interested to visit Kiev In a recent statement Francis made it clear that  “I will not go to Kyiv yet. I have sent Cardinal Michael Czerny and Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who went there for the fourth time. But I feel like I don’t have to go. First, I have to go to Moscow and meet with Putin. I am also a priest, what can I do? I do what I can.”

Interestingly, Pope Francis called off the second meeting with Patriarch Kirill upon the advise from senior Vatican diplomats that a meeting with the Primate of the Russian Church in the light of the conflict in Ukraine would result in a lot of confusion. Pope was planning to meet the Russian Patriarch in June 2022 in Lebanon. On the other hand his desire to visit Moscow was reaffirmed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, secretary of state on the 4th of May 2022.

It is be noted that Pope Francis nor the Vatican did not directly condemn Russia at the beginning of the wart in Ukraine. However, Francis urged Patriarch Kirill not to become Kremlin’s (Putin’s) “altar boy” in an interview given to Corriere Della Sera newspaper which angered the Russian Church.

According to Francis “We still have not had a response, and we are still being persistent, even though I am afraid Putin may not be able to and may not want to have this meeting right now,” the pope had said. “I am doing what I can. If Putin were to open the door. …” 

Regardless of all religious political and diplomatic confusions, and exchanges, Pope Francis have continually expressed his desire to visit Russia. So what is the whole point behind Pope Francis desire to visit Moscow? It is nothing but to use the present crisis in Ukraine for a diplomatic manipulation to pay a visit to the Russian soil. Why is this visit so important for the Roman Papacy? Just because none of the Roman Popes have ever visited Russia. The wish of previous pontiffs to pay a visit to Russia was never welcomed by the Russian Orthodox Church. Hence, for Pope Francis, this is the right moment to grab an easy visit to Moscow as the ‘angel of peace’ at the expense of the conflict in Ukraine.

Source:
OCP News Service