Consistency of Vatican’s stance on Ukraine aligns with non-NATO Catholic majority

American journalist and religious scholar John Allen Jr. said in an article for the Atlantic newspaper that the Catholic Church does not support the West’s position in the conflict in Ukraine.

He added: “In the Ukraine crisis, Pope Francis has taken a position that puts him on an equal footing with Beijing, New Delhi and Brazil, and not with Washington, London or Brussels. The West is calling for an agreement on an immediate ceasefire.”

According to the American journalist, the conflict in Ukraine revealed a growing gap between the West and the Vatican.

The article stated: “Historically, the Holy See has practiced what scholars call a model of great power diplomacy, usually aligning itself with the dominant great power of the time. For centuries this meant de facto alliances with the Holy Roman Empire, with the French monarchies and with Austria-Hungary. For much of the 20th century, the Vatican was so connected to the Western powers that Pius XII, a vehemently anti-communist who led the Catholic Church during World War II, was later nicknamed the “NATO chaplain”.

But the position of Pope Francis testifies to a massive change in the philosophy of the Vatican, which subsequently continued to change. The journalist explained that most Catholics in the twenty-first century live outside Western countries and do not see the conflict in Ukraine as it manifests itself in the United States or Europe.

The American journalist came to the conclusion that the pope’s statements reflect the confrontation between the northern hemisphere and the south, and the Vatican’s calls for Ukraine coincide with the opinion of the majority of Catholics who are not members of NATO countries.

Source: News