During the Angelus prayer on Sunday, August 25, at the Vatican, Pope Francis took a few minutes to rebuke the Ukrainian government. The reason? The ban on the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church in the territory of Kyiv. “Please, no Christian church should be abolished directly or indirectly. Do not touch the churches!” the pontiff shouted to the faithful. An “unusual” position, second The paperAbove all – we read in the article written by Matteo Mazzozzi – because it “enters into a dispute that does not directly concern the Holy See” and represents “an actual condemnation of Ukrainian nationalism”.
Pope criticizes law signed by Zelensky
The provision, which Pope Francis has criticized, was signed by Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday, August 24, after the parliament approved it by a vote of 265 in favor, 29 against and 4 abstentions. The law stipulates that Orthodox parishes and monastic communities must sever all existing ties with the Russian Church of Patriarch Kirill within nine months. In other words, they will have to affiliate with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. According to the Kiev authorities, this measure is aimed at curbing the efforts of Moscow, which uses the Russian Orthodox Church as an “instrument of militarization.” However, according to Pope Francis, the law signed by Zelensky goes in the wrong direction: “I continue to follow with pain the fighting in Ukraine and in the Russian Federation, and thinking about the recently adopted laws in Ukraine, I fear for freedom. “Those who pray, because those who truly pray always pray for everyone.” The Pontiff then added: “You do not commit evil because you pray. If someone does evil against his people, he is guilty of it, but he cannot have committed evil because he prayed. Therefore, let those who want to pray in what they consider their Church pray.”
The most cautious words about Nicaragua
second The paper“It’s not like Francis is interfering with a straight leg in what can be vulgarly defined as other people’s affairs.” The Kiev government itself was likely surprised by the pope’s words. But there is another element that he highlighted. The paperIf Pope Francis used harsh and unambiguous words in his criticism of Zelensky, the pope has shown himself to be more cautious about what is happening in Nicaragua. In this Central American country, Matsozzi’s analysis notes, “the Sandinista regime of Daniel Ortega makes the life of the Church, its ministers and its faithful impossible.” But in this case, he points out: The paperThe pope was “careful to offend the tyrant’s sensitivity.” In his address to “the beloved people of Nicaragua,” Francis simply urged them to “renew their hope in Jesus.”
On the cover: Pope Francis during an event at the Vatican on August 12, 2024 (ANSA)
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