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The Print
a day ago
- Politics
- The Print
Orthodox Russia doesn't take orders from Pope. Vatican can't convince Putin for a ceasefire
Trump's idea of involving the Papal office in the Vatican, the highest seat of the Catholic Church, in the ceasefire talks was a blunder for several reasons. Russia's Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and the Roman Catholic Church have been at loggerheads for over ten centuries, probably right from 988 when Grand Prince Vladimir was baptised. The theological split first appeared in 1054 when the then Pope Leo IX of Rome excommunicated Patriarch Michael Cerularius of Constantinople, who responded with his own excommunication of the Bishop of Rome, Pope Leo IX. The election of the hitherto unknown Robert Francis Prevost, a quiet lawyer-bishop with years of experience in Church matters, as the vicar of Jesus Christ, the first American Pope, does not change the ground realities of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, head of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), did not attend the funeral of Pope Francis, though the two held a meeting in 2016 in Cuba, after almost 10 centuries of schism. There is no reason why Pope Leo XIV would broker peace between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy just because the president of America wants him to do it. Russia's rejection of Vatican-led ceasefire talks with Ukraine should come as a surprise only to those who are ignorant of the historic animosity between the two religious institutions, the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's clarification that it is a little 'awkward for Orthodox countries to discuss issues on a Catholic platform' should put at rest all efforts initiated by US President Donald Trump. Division of churches The October Revolution of 1917 further alienated the two Christian faiths, even as Moscow under the brutal atheist regime of Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin stifled religious freedom. After deriding religion as the 'opium of the masses', Stalin launched the 'Godless Five-Year Plan', in 1928, leading to the purging of religion from the territories under the Soviet Union. While the Russian Orthodox Church was enlisted to arouse 'Russian patriotism' in 1942 in the wake of Nazi attack on the Soviet Union, the Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Central Asia and Kazakhstan was established in 1943 during the Great Patriotic War. Meanwhile, after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church—Kyiv Patriarchate (UOCKP), set up in 1992 by Ukrainian clergy, has been seeking independence from the Kremlin-based ROC. The conflict with Russia has forced the state to adopt a law to ban religious groups linked to Moscow, which the government has accused of complicity in 'Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine'. It is strange that the White House under Trump should expect Putin to sit with Zelensky in the Vatican and submit to the authority of the Holy See. As for his stand on his Ukrainian counterpart—Putin called Zelenskyy 'an ethnic Jew, with Jewish roots, with Jewish origins' put up by his Western masters to cover up 'the antihuman essence' of the modern Ukrainian state and 'the glorification of Nazism'. And Trump expects Putin to shake hands with Zelenskyy in front of the Pope. The US and the European Union members have been constantly accusing Russia under Putin of increasing the State's control over matters of faith, just as it has done in political matters and freedom. They have called Russian Orthodox Church officials as surrogates of Kremlin, working 'in symphony' with the State. While the constitutionally 'secular' Russian state allows citizens to follow any faith of their choice or no faith at all, some Christian and Islamic groups have been banned. The leaders and followers of these groups have been labelled as 'foreign agents' under a 2022 law—arguably to protect the Russian Federation's sovereignty and security. Also read: Don't allow terrorists to regroup. India's military pause with Pakistan can't last long Russia-China-Turkey-Iran axis Besides religious differences, there is another reason why Putin won't sit across the Pope in his Vatican office. In 2021, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Putin, accusing him of serious war crimes following the Russian attack on Ukraine. More than 50 countries have supported the warrant, obliging them to arrest Putin if he happens to land in any one of these countries. Italy is one of them. Therefore, if Putin agrees to arrive at the Vatican to meet the Holy See, he will have to be arrested and probably handed over to the ICC. Alternatively, the ICC will have to withdraw the arrest warrant, thereby facilitating the meeting. But this will mean surrendering its legal autonomy, authority, jurisdiction, and independence to a religious office. The Russia-Ukraine conflict is over acquiring territory, control over natural resources, ownership of rare minerals, and fulfilling Putin's dream of a Russia-centric Eurasian Union, a vast trade and political bloc stretching from China to the edge of the EU. Putin might go ahead with the technical-level negotiation in Istanbul to consolidate Russia-China-Turkey-Iran cooperation—an axis Trump sees as anti-US, anti-West and anti-Vatican. An exasperated Trump could be tempted to renew American military aid to Ukraine, authorising Zelenskyy to use it anywhere including deep inside Russia, impose greater sanctions to cripple the economy and blanket ban on Russian oil even through secondary markets, like India. In a dramatic turn of events, there are reports of Putin's helicopter being at the epicentre of a Ukrainian drone strike, which could lead to further escalation of the conflict. Like conflicting statements on brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, Trump should be ready for a flip-flop on brokering peace through the Putin-Pope meeting. Seshadri Chari is the former editor of 'Organiser'. He tweets @seshadrichari. Views are personal. (Edited by Ratan Priya)
Euronews
4 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Why Russia is unlikely to let the Vatican mediate Ukraine peace talks
The prospect of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine being mediated by Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican is unlikely due to the influence of Russian Orthodoxy and Moscow's mistrust of the Catholic Church, according to political analysts and religious figures. Shortly after being elected, Pope Leo XIV said that the Vatican could act as a mediator in global conflicts, without specifically mentioning Russia's war against Ukraine. He later confirmed it to Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, saying the Vatican was indeed willing to host the next round of negotiations to try to put an end the war between Russia and Ukraine. After Kyiv and Moscow's direct talks in Istanbul yielded almost no progress, US President Donald Trump also mentioned the Vatican as a possible venue, following a conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. According to a recent statement by the Vatican's Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the pontiff plans to "if necessary, provide the Vatican, the Holy See, as a direct meeting (place) between the two sides". Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy travelled to the Vatican earlier this month and met Pope Leo XIV following his inaugural Mass. Zelenskyy is in favour of peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow being held at the Vatican, Ukraine's foreign minister confirmed to Euronews last week. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticised the idea, saying that it would be "a bit inelegant for Orthodox countries to use a Catholic platform" for talks. Moscow's wariness of mediation by the Vatican predates Pope Leo XIV, according to Pasquale Ferrara, the director general for political affairs at Italy's foreign ministry, and a professor of diplomacy and negotiation at the LUISS University in Rome. "I don't think Putin sees the Vatican as having the necessary neutrality," Ferrara told Euronews. "This scepticism existed even under Pope Francis and is rooted in the long-standing coolness between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church." That tension has deep historical roots, stretching back to the Great Schism of 1054, when Christianity split into the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. In August 2024, the Ukrainian parliament passed a bill banning activities of religious organisations connected to Russia and those that have administrative centres there. The legislation specifically targets the activities of the Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), which is legally subordinate to the Russian Orthodox Church, the leading church in Russia and a close ally of the Kremlin, fully supporting Moscow's war in Ukraine. All UOC-MP communities were given nine months to fully break ties with the Russian church. Ukraine's Security Service accused a number of clergymen of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate of collaborating with the Krmelin and justifying Russian aggression. Over 100 UOC-MP clergy members have come under criminal investigation since the outbreak of the full-scale war, the Security Service of Ukraine said. Once a dominant religious group in Ukraine, the past few years have seen many Moscow Patriarchate communities switch allegiance to independent churches, namely the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate. Founded in 2018 as an institution representing Ukrainian Orthodoxy fully independent of Moscow, it was granted the tomos of autocephaly — a document signifying canonical independence — by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, the most senior priest of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Moscow Patriarchate hasn't recognised the decision and later tried to portray the Ukrainian government's steps against the Moscow-linked church as "persecution of Christians." The head of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), Patriarch Kirill, has been an ardent supporter of the war and a vital ally for Putin. Patriarch Kirill's vocal support for Putin's war has drawn criticism from the likes of Pope Francis and was dubbed a 'heresy' by other religious authorities. Dubbed the Tobacco Metropolitan for his alleged profiteering off of duty-free cigarettes in the 1990s, Patriarch Kirill fiercely maintains his pro-war stance, blaming the invasion on "gay parades" and making unproven claims that Ukrainians have been "exterminating" Russian civilians in the Donbas. In early May 2022, attempts by Brussels to add Kirill to the EU's list of sanctioned Russian nationals led to tensions among European leaders after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán blocked the move. The ROC's stance has seen some Orthodox Churches cut ties with the Moscow Patriarchate, including one in Amsterdam. Bishop Hlib Lonchyna, a Ukrainian Greek Catholic prelate, expressed his doubt about Russia's willingness to genuinely engage in peace talks or accept the Vatican as a mediator. "Pope Leo XIV has no influence over Russia. They don't recognise our Church at all," he told Euronews. The Vatican has a long history of mediating wars, conflicts and political disagreements, although it tends to work behind the scenes and avoid publicising its efforts. One of its greatest achievements in recent history was facilitating the talks between the US and Cuba in 2014 that ultimately resulted in the resumption of diplomatic relations. The Vatican has also often hosted far less secret diplomatic initiatives, such as when it brought together the rival leaders of war-torn South Sudan in 2019. The encounter was made famous by the image of Pope Francis kissing their feet to beg them to make peace. However, for the Kremlin, the idea of Pope Leo XIV mediating peace talks may be seen as an extension of the Catholic Church's Western legacy, according to Ferrara of the Italian foreign ministry. Ultimately, successful mediation depends less on the identity of the mediator and more on the parties' genuine willingness to seek peace, he said. "Russia has not shown the kinds of signals that would indicate a real desire to negotiate," Ferrara added. On 16 May, Russia and Ukraine held their first face-to-face discussions since shortly after Moscow's full-scale invasion. During the talks in Istanbul, the two sides agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each, in what is the biggest such swap to date. The discussions delivered no wider breakthrough on resolving Russia's war, and no further direct peace talks are scheduled, the Kremlin said last week. Moscow has had no issues with Ankara playing the host. Nonetheless, Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga said last week that he believed that the Vatican could still act as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine. "It is very difficult, yes, but everything is possible with Pope Leo XIV — he enjoys the trust of global leaders," he told the Italian newspaper La Stampa. Ferrara also said that the Vatican may have a role to play, despite the challenges. "We should not be too sceptical about the constructive role religion can play in building a new international order," he added. Spain has failed to obtain the necessary unanimity to elevate Catalan, Galician and Basque into official languages of the European Union, as several member states raised concerns over the administrative and legal implications of such an unprecedented move. The result materialised during a meeting of EU affairs ministers on Tuesday, where the issue was scheduled to be put to a formal vote. As the debate progressed, it became evident that the reservations in the room were enough to prevent consensus. "There was a large number of countries willing to support (the request), but there was a minority who asked for more time, and we decided to grant it," said Pilar Alegría, the chief spokesperson of the central government in Madrid. "We're going to continue working and discussing." The request dates back to 2023, when Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez secured the support of Catalan separatist lawmakers, who hold a small but crucial number of seats in the Spanish parliament, to form a minority government. As part of the investiture deal, Sánchez promised to bring to Brussels a proposal to amend Regulation 1/1958 and turn Catalan, Galician and Basque into official EU languages. The backing of regional parties has become more pressing after Sánchez unveiled a new budget with a steep hike in defence spending that needs the parliament's blessing. As of today, Regulation 1/1958 recognises 24 languages. The designation implies the translation of every legal act, including the daily publication of the official journal, and real-time interpretation during debates in the EU Council and the European Parliament. A first attempt to change the regulation was swiftly rejected in September 2023, despite Madrid offering to pay in full for the additional expenses. The fiasco prompted months of behind-the-scenes negotiations to convince the reluctant countries and secure the required unanimity. Spain asked for the issue to be put on the agenda on Tuesday morning, even if the arithmetic looked very uncertain in the lead up to the ministerial meeting. On arrival in Brussels, Joakim Strand, Finland's minister for European affairs, cast doubt over the request, arguing the issue was not "mature yet". "There are still some concerns that have been (raised) also by the Council legal service, and I think that's something we need to take very seriously," Strand told reporters. "I think linguistic diversity is important, and we're always constructive, and we want to continue the discussion." Sweden's Jessica Rosencrantz and Austria's Claudia Plakolm also highlighted the importance of respecting the EU's diversity, but echoed the concerns about the financial and legal implications that the triple designation would entail. The European Commission previously estimated the cost to be €132 million per year, with Catalan, Galician and Basque costing €44 million each. The assessment was preliminary, based on the past experience with Gaelic in Ireland. Spain's domestic settlement on language is unique in Europe. Under the country's constitution, enacted in 1978 after the end of the military dictatorship, the three languages gained co-official status in the regions where they are spoken and enjoy the same legal standing as Castilian. Catalan is spoken by more than 9 million people across Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands, as well as Andorra. Galician is a distant second, with around 2.5 million speakers in Galicia, the northwest corner of Spain. The Basque language or Euskara, which does not originate from Latin, is spoken by over 750,000 people in the Basque Country and Navarra, and also in the bordering areas of southern France. "This is not a matter of translating more or less documents, it is a matter of respecting the identity of European citizens," Catalonia President Salvador Illa told Euronews in February during an official visit to Brussels. "This is not, let's say, a political issue, or a political demand. I would put it from another angle. This is a fair measure from a linguistic point of view. There are 20 million citizens who speak these official languages."
Russia Today
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukrainian incursion forces set up bases in Russian churches
Ukraine's armed forces used churches in Russia's Kursk Region as strongholds during their failed incursion, President Vladimir Putin has said. He noted that many of the buildings suffered serious damage during the liberation of the region. Following a meeting with the heads of the region's municipalities on Tuesday, Putin called on local authorities, including the acting Kursk governor, Aleksandr Khinshtein, to create a special program to assess the damage and submit proposals on how to restore the churches as well as repair associated buildings. During his trip to Kursk, which was only made public on Wednesday morning, the president emphasized the integral role of the Russian Orthodox Church, stating that it had 'been with its people throughout history.' Putin's visit to Kursk marked the first time the Russian president had traveled to the region since it was fully liberated from Kiev's forces last month. Ukraine launched its incursion into the border region last August in what it claimed to be an attempt to seize territory as leverage for eventual peace negotiations. In March, when Ukrainian troops had already started being driven out of Kursk, Putin reported that Kiev's forces were purposely causing destruction, targeting churches, cultural heritage sites, as well as industrial and energy facilities. While touring the region on Tuesday, the president admitted that the situation in Kursk remains 'difficult' even after its full liberation, particularly as Kiev's forces have continued their attempts to move towards the Russian border. Putin has ordered regional authorities to expedite efforts to restore the region and employ more mine clearing specialists so that people can return to their homes as soon as possible. He also announced that payments to residents who lost their property during the incursion will continue and that state funds would be allocated to repair damaged residential buildings in the region.
Russia Today
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukrainian forces turned churches in Kursk Region into fortresses
Ukraine's armed forces turned churches in Russia's Kursk Region into fortresses during their failed incursion, President Vladimir Putin has said. He noted that many of the buildings suffered serious damage during the liberation of the region. Following a meeting with the heads of the region's municipalities on Tuesday, Putin called on local authorities, including the acting Kursk governor, Aleksandr Khinshtein, to create a special program to assess the damage and submit proposals on how to restore the churches as well as repair associated buildings. During his trip to Kursk, which was only made public on Wednesday morning, the president emphasized the integral role of the Russian Orthodox Church, stating that it had 'been with its people throughout history.' Putin's visit to Kursk marked the first time the Russian president had traveled to the region since it was fully liberated from Kiev's forces last month. Ukraine launched its incursion into the border region last August in what it claimed to be an attempt to seize territory as leverage for eventual peace negotiations. In March, when Ukrainian troops had already started being driven out of Kursk, Putin reported that Kiev's forces were purposely causing destruction, targeting churches, cultural heritage sites, as well as industrial and energy facilities. While touring the region on Tuesday, the president admitted that the situation in Kursk remains 'difficult' even after its full liberation, particularly as Kiev's forces have continued their attempts to move towards the Russian border. Putin has ordered regional authorities to expedite efforts to restore the region and employ more mine clearing specialists so that people can return to their homes as soon as possible. He also announced that payments to residents who lost their property during the incursion will continue and that state funds would be allocated to repair damaged residential buildings in the region.
Spectator
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Pope Leo XIV – lion or a pussycat?
Will Pope Leo turn out to be a lion or a pussycat? That depends on what he has to confront, but one hopes he will do better than Pope Siricius (384-399), let alone Kirill, current Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. When the Roman emperor Constantine published a letter in 313 allowing freedom of worship to pagan and Christian alike, it opened the door to Christian leaders taking over the function of the old Roman elite.
