defense of human life, not political positions

Clarification from the Vatican Press Office after the controversy of recent days regarding its interventions on the conflict in Ukraine. Meanwhile, at the closed-door meeting of the College of Cardinals to discuss the reform of the Roman Curia that Francis has ordered, the role of the laity was mainly discussed.

Vatican City () – The words of Pope Francis on the war in Ukraine “should be understood as a voice raised in defense of human life and the values ​​related to it and not as a political position”, affirmed the Holy See in a note released today by the Vatican Press Office after the controversies that have arisen in recent days due to his statements at the general audience last Wednesday. Six months after the beginning of the conflict, he referred to “the Ukrainian and Russian children who have been orphaned by this madness” and his condolences for the death of Darya Dugina in an attack in Moscow. Due to this statement, the apostolic nuncio in kyiv was convened by the kyiv government.

The Pope’s interventions, the note explains, “are intended to invite pastors and faithful to prayer, and all people of good will to solidarity and effort to rebuild peace.” As for the war “initiated by the Russian Federation, the interventions of the Holy Father Francis are clear and unequivocal in condemning it as morally unjust, unacceptable, barbaric, senseless, disgusting and sacrilegious.”

The statement was released at a time when the two-day closed-door meeting with the College of Cardinals, convened by Pope Francis, on the occasion of the Consistory, to discuss the reform of the Roman Curia, is about to conclude in the Vatican. promulgated a few months ago with the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium. Nearly 200 cardinals, patriarchs and heads of dicasteries participated in the meeting. After a first session by linguistic groups, the College met in plenary assembly for several sessions. VaticanNews reported that the specific issues discussed include the training of personnel, the spirituality of the Roman Curia and, above all, the issue of the laity and the possibility of being in charge of some dicasteries, expressly provided for by the apostolic constitution.

The meeting will end this afternoon with the solemn concelebration of Pope Francis with the new cardinals created last Saturday in the Consistory.