In an interview released on Tuesday, Pope Francis said he had requested a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to try to end the conflict in Ukraine, but had not gotten a response.
The pope also told Italy’s Corriere Della Sera daily that Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill, who has backed the war wholeheartedly, ‘cannot become Putin’s altar boy.’
Francis, who paid an unprecedented visit to the Russian embassy when the war broke out, told the newspaper that he urged the Vatican’s top diplomat to send a message to Putin around three weeks into the fight.
‘The message was clear, I was willing to travel to Moscow. Allowing an opening was undoubtedly vital for the Kremlin boss. We have yet to receive an answer, but we remain adamant.’
He continued, ‘Putin, I fear, is unable and unwilling to hold this meeting at this moment. But how can you allow such brutality to continue?’
Prior to the conversation, Pope Francis, 85, had not publicly referenced Russia or Putin since the war began on February 24. However, he has made it clear who he is criticising, using language like unjustified aggression and invasion, as well as condemning atrocities against people.
When asked about a trip to Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, which Francis mentioned last month as a possibility, the pope stated he would not go at this time.
‘First, I have to travel to Moscow and meet with Putin… I do what I can. If Putin would just open a door, the world would be a better place,’ he stated
The conflict in Ukraine has strained relations between the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church, causing a schism among Orthodox Christians worldwide.
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