The Vatican has apologised to the Russian government for Pope Francis’ comment that their troops were the ‘cruellest’ fighters in Ukraine.
The Vatican confirmed on Thursday December 15, that it has apologised for Pope Francis’ comments last month that referred to Russian soldiers from certain ethnic minority groups.
At a briefing in Moscow, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia now considered the matter closed and hoped for a constructive dialogue between Russia and the Vatican.
The Pope, 85, made the comments about the Chechens and Buryats while speaking in an interview with Jesuit magazine America on November 22.
He said: ‘The cruelest are perhaps those who are of Russia but are not of the Russian tradition, such as the Chechens, the Buryats and so on.
‘I speak of a people who are martyred. If you have a martyred people, you have someone who martyrs them.’
Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni was asked about Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova saying on Thursday that the Vatican had apologised following the pope’s comments.
‘I can now confirm there were diplomatic contacts to that effect,’ he said.
The comments drew indignation from Russia, with Zakharova describing the comments as ‘beyond Russophobia’, and ‘perversion’.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni was asked about Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova saying on Thursday that the Vatican had apologised following the pope’s comments.
‘I can now confirm there were diplomatic contacts to that effect,’ he said.
Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the Chechen region, is pro-Kremlin and supportive of Russia’s war on Ukraine, allegedly having even sent his sons into battle, said CNN.
Zakharova spoke out for the Russian troops on her Telegram channel: ‘We are one family with Buryats, Chechens and other representatives of our multinational and multi-confessional country.
‘And together we will definitely pray for the Holy See, each in his own way.’