Lithuania summons Vatican representative "for a conversation" in connection with Pope's statements about Russian tsars
The conversation with the nuncio will take place in early September
Following Pope Francis' remarks about the "great Russian empire," the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned the apostolic nuncio (the Vatican's official representative in the country) for a conversation.
It will take place "in early September, when Archbishop Petar Rajic returns from vacation," said Paulina Levitskite, a representative of the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry, as quoted by BNS.
Lithuania does not have a state religion, but according to the 2021 census, 74.2% of the country's residents identified themselves with the Roman Catholic Church. Lithuania is one of Ukraine's most radical allies.
Last Friday, speaking via video link at a Catholic event in St. Petersburg, Pope Francis spoke of "the great Russia of saints, of rulers, the great Russia of Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, that empire – great, enlightened, great culture and great humanity."
These words, which echo many of the themes of Russian propaganda, provoked an angry reaction in Ukraine, both among officials and, for example, from the leadership of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
On Tuesday, the Vatican and its missions abroad issued an official clarification that the Pope did not mean to endorse the Russian imperial narrative, and mentioned its heroes only as chronological reference points.
If you have read this article to the end, we hope that means it was useful for you.
We work to ensure that our journalistic and analytical work is of high quality, and we strive to perform it as competently as possible. This also requires financial independence. Support us for only UAH 196 per month.
Become a Mind subscriber for just USD 5 per month and support the development of independent business journalism!
You can unsubscribe at any time in your LIQPAY account or by sending us an email: [email protected]
