Vatican Clarifies Pope's Remarks on Russian Tsars, Kremlin Calls Them "Very Satisfying"

The Vatican stated on Tuesday that Pope Francis did not intend to glorify Russian imperialism when he praised the tsars who expanded the Russian Empire, following criticism from Ukraine regarding remarks he made last week, which the Kremlin welcomed. Pope Francis urged Russian youth in improvised comments after a speech on Friday to remember that they are heirs of former tsars like Peter the Great and Catherine the Great. The two tsars expanded the Russian Empire in the 17th and 18th centuries by conquering areas of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously referenced their legacy to justify his invasion and annexation of areas in Ukraine last year. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni stated that "the Pope intended to encourage young people to preserve all that is positive in the great cultural and spiritual heritage of Russia and to work to enhance it, certainly not to glorify imperial logic." Kyiv described the remarks as "very unfortunate." Meanwhile, the Kremlin referred to the Pope’s statements as "very satisfying" and noted that the Russian state has a rich heritage and that it is good for the Pope to be aware of Russian history.