The Pope's appeal to the Russians has caused a scandal: the pontiff is replicating imperial ideas - the Foreign Ministry

According to the spokesman of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Oleg Nikolenko, the pontiff is distributed by Russian grand -state ideas that serve as an excuse for the Kremlin. Nikolenko wrote about it on his Facebook page. He cited the Pope, which caused criticism in the ministry. In his address to the participants of the X All-Russian Day of Catholic youth in St. Petersburg, Francis mentioned the Russian heritage in St. Petersburg.

He advised the Russians not to forget about their past, called them the descendants of Great Russia - Russia of Saints, rulers, Grand Peter I, Catherine II, empire with high education, culture and humanity. "Never give up on this inheritance. You are the descendants of the great Mother of Russia, step forward with it. And thank you, thank you for your way to be, for your way to be Russians," said the head of the Catholic Church.

At the same time, this quote is absent in the published text of the Vatican News (information resource of the Holy See). But the network has a snippet of the daddy with such a quote. According to Nikolenko, with the help of imperialist propaganda - references to the empire, the rescue of the "Great Mother of Russia" and other screws - the Kremlin justifies the killings of thousands of inhabitants of Ukraine and the destruction of hundreds of Ukrainian settlements.

The Apostolic Nunction in Ukraine drew attention to discussions about the Pontiff said in addressing the Russians and made a refutation. In some interpretations, Francis allegedly urged the Russians to take an example from some Russian rulers and cultural figures of the past, according to the publication. "The papal representation resolutely rejects the aforementioned interpretations, since Pope Francis has never called for imperialist ideas," says in the message.

"On the contrary, he is a decisive opponent and critic of any form of imperialism or colonialism in all nations and situations. " The Chairman of the UGCC His Beatitude Svyatoslav stated that he was waiting for the Pope Francis to clarify after he voiced the great Russian ideas in addressing Russian youth. Svyatoslav's statement is posted on the UGCC website.

The publication expresses the hope that the Pope proclaimed his words spontaneously and not to support the imperialist ambitions of the Russian Federation. The statement mentioned about Catherine, Peter, etc. , His Beatitude Sviatoslav called the worst example of imperialism and extreme Russian nationalism. The religious figure said that against the background of Russian aggression against Ukraine, such words, instead of condemning, inspire neolonial ambitions of the aggressor.