"Pope
Francis's remarks praising the Russian nation are affecting many people,
especially those who defend Ukraine against Russia, says President
Gitanas Nausėda.
"You know,
the Pope is the authority of faith, but this does not automatically mean that
he is the authority of history, and sometimes perhaps the history of Russia or
the history of our region, our continent, can look a little different from
Argentina. Maybe my knowledge of the history of Argentina could sometimes cause
some controversies," the head of the country told reporters on Friday.
"And
speaking seriously, I think that this is an extremely sensitive issue and you
should think very carefully before making such statements, because such
statements hurt a lot of people, especially those people who are currently
shedding their blood in the conflict in Ukraine," G said. Nauseda.
A video message
dedicated to Russia's Youth Day was posted online, in which the Pope told
people gathered in a Catholic church in St. Petersburg that "you are the
great Russia - the great saints, the kings, Peter the Great, Catherine II, the
Russian nation, with so much culture, so much humanity , children". Kyiv responded by
declaring that the Pope was spreading imperial propaganda.
The Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of Lithuania announced this week that it is inviting the representative
of the Vatican in Lithuania for an interview. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni
released a statement on Tuesday saying the pontiff's remarks were intended to
"encourage young people to protect and promote all that is positive in
Russia's great cultural and spiritual heritage" and that the pope's
remarks were "certainly not intended to glorify imperial logic and power
figures." The Kremlin, for its part, welcomed the Pope's
remarks."
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