As the meme goes, the only thing the Pope can help President Zelenskyy with is sending his Swiss Guard to Ukraine. But instead of the Swiss, he has currently sent his “ears” to Ukraine. Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the Pope’s envoy for peace negotiations, arrived in Kyiv with a deliberately modest role: to listen to the “voice of Ukraine” in all its details in order to “move forward” towards the development and establishment of a “strong and just” peace for Ukraine.
Pope’s “secret”
Until Zuppi’s arrival in Kyiv, his mission remained strictly confidential. He responded to all press inquiries with the sacramental “no comments.” The “Pope’s plan” remained a secret. However, after Zuppi’s visit to Kyiv concluded, it became clear that there was only one thing clarified in the “Pope’s plan” — there is no actual plan. There are, perhaps, only intentions.
A meeting between Zuppi and President Zelenskyy took place, during which, according to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Pontiff’s envoy (once again!) was made to understand that Ukraine is willing to achieve peace as early as tomorrow, but only on its own terms. Then Cardinal Zuppi visited Bucha — which seems to have become a “mandatory program” for any official visit by foreign guests to Ukraine. Afterwards, the Cardinal met with the Human Rights Commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, to discuss issues related to the return of Ukrainian captives, civilian hostages, and Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.
“I am confident that this visit by Vatican representatives will once again demonstrate who the aggressor is and who the victim is,” Dmytro Lubinets wrote in his Telegram channel after the meeting.
But while everything is generally clear about the “aggressor,” Pope Francis has his own particular view of the “victims.”
Pope’s tears
The Pope holds Ukraine in his heart. He often mentions the “torn Ukraine” and prays for all the victims of the war. The key word here is “all,” meaning that the victims are not just Ukraine and Ukrainians. “Their boys,” for example, are also “victims.” As we are frequently reminded by the church, the Pope of Rome is primarily a counselor, not a politician. He cannot take sides because he adheres primarily to Christian values and principles. On any “side,” everyone is human to him.
Pope Francis weeps with each one of us. “Your pain is my pain,” is the refrain of his speeches about all those who suffer. For Catholics, this is a very important rhetorical figure. It signifies not only the personal involvement and sympathy of the Pontiff (although that is also significant). The Pope’s compassion is the compassion of the entire Church and, perhaps, even the compassion of Christ Himself. However, the tears of the Pope matter little to Ukrainians. Any tears matter little, including our own. Does the Pope cry? Well, he is fortunate; at least he can still cry. We speak different languages with Pope Francis. And for us, a sign of true solidarity would be his attempt to understand what we are actually saying.
Perhaps this is exactly what Cardinal Zuppi had in mind when he stated that his mission is to “listen.”
However, as we know, Moscow does not believe in tears. Not even in the tears of the Pope himself. The Pope’s initiative to reconcile Ukraine and Russia has one obvious and decisive weakness: Pope Francis holds no political weight in Ukraine, while he does in Russia. His envoy may be respectfully listened to, as President Zelenskyy did, or sent away, as hinted by Peskov in the Kremlin. But the result of the mission will be essentially the same: none. It is telling that Zuppi’s visit had no resonance in the Ukrainian media, unlike in the Italian media, which covered it quite actively. To be fair, the visit coincided with the tragedy at the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant. However, the interest in Pope’s peace initiatives in Ukraine is increasingly perceived as a strangeness. Or they simply do not pay attention to them.
It can be said that in the current political crisis, the Church has demonstrated its own powerlessness. Not only the Catholic Church but also others. However, it’s not just the Church. War is always the result of powerlessness. The powerlessness of politicians, diplomats, international institutions, as well as universities, schools, money, and words. It is an invasion of hell. Perhaps the Pontiff, as the head of the Church, feels a deep personal responsibility for the fact that hell has spread to the entrusted area of the front. And he sincerely tries to salvage the situation. But how many divisions does the Pope of Rome have?
However, the strength of the Vatican does not lie in divisions. And even with divisions, not everything is so straightforward.
Pope’s “divisions”
The Pope is the head of the world’s largest church, which covers the entire globe. He is truly the “voice of the world”: and when he speaks, he cannot but be heard.
It is not the place that adorns a person, but the person who adorns the place, and Pope Francis confirms this proverb. The current Pontiff is largely the voice of the “Third World.” I know that this expression has gone out of fashion, and now it is customary to say “Global South.” But our geography is complex: the map of political influences and postcolonial claims in the “second” and “third” worlds is interpreted quite differently. Pope Francis is fully the voice of the Global South in his desire to reconcile Ukraine and Russia. And he joins the choir of similar voices: India, African countries, Brazil, and others. Quieter “voices from the South” ask, demand, and even propose their own “formulas” for reconciling Ukraine and Russia.
We can assume (and already assume) competition between those who want to become an authorized representative of the Global South. But the Pope, of course, does not compete with anyone — he is “out of politics.” But he can add weight to a peace initiative.
Commenting on Zuppi’s visit to Ukraine, Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin stated that the Holy See does not exclude cooperation with any possible mediators, whether it be China or the United States, in order to achieve peace. The visit of the Holy See’s representative to Kyiv and, if possible, to Moscow, to “listen” directly to the participants of the conflict, is only a prologue. Italian media close to the Vatican speculate about where the Pope’s envoy will go after Kyiv — directly to Moscow or first to Beijing, and if to both capitals, in what order?
In Beijing, the Pope’s “peacemaker” can expect a warmer reception than in Kyiv or even Moscow, as China plays the role of a leader of the Global South, and the only hindrance is that China is not strongly associated with this geographical region. However, this can be rectified if the Vatican, for example, supports China’s peaceful plan. “It is too early to talk about it,” says the Secretary of State of the Holy See, but the word has been spoken. The mention by Secretary of State Parolin of the “Americans” as a possible party in negotiations is also valuable — it hints that the Pope of Rome (and perhaps only he) can build bridges as far and in any order as necessary.
No, Pope Francis is not a Russophile and is not “working for the Kremlin,” as some of our fellow citizens believe. He has taken on the role of the “voice of the Global South,” and it suits him very well. Firstly, it is organic to him. Secondly, it is honest in its own way — most of the Catholic faithful reside in the Global South. Ultimately, it is noble to be the voice for a perpetually ignored majority. Pope Francis gives political weight to the Global South, and the Global South gives weight to the Vatican, which has been losing popularity in the West over the past hundred years. It’s a win-win situation.
But not for Ukraine.
Because the Global South largely doesn’t care about what happens to Ukraine. The idea of “immediately reconciling everyone” arises simultaneously with indifference towards Ukraine’s fate and a pragmatic reluctance to endure economic difficulties due to the war. More precisely, it’s even slightly worse for Ukraine: the Global South has old and well-founded accounts with the West (or the Global North). And the fact that the West is a Ukrainian ally in this conflict makes us even more alien to the Global South. For them, the war in Ukraine is just another conflict resolved by white men in their political and financial interests, causing suffering once again in the “poor” part of the world. When Putin utters the amusing term “Anglo-Saxons,” he knows exactly where he is aiming. And, unfortunately, he hits the bullseye.
Originally posted by Kateryna Shchotkina on Zn.ua. Translated and edited by the UaPosition – Ukrainian news and analytics website
See also: Hands of Moscow: How independent is the Ukrainian Orthodox Church?
