Pope Francis continues to work through diplomatic channels to contribute to peace in Ukraine, but is also preparing for a strong gesture: the Argentine pope will consecrate both the nation ruled by Volodymyr Zelenskyy and that of Vladimir Putin to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The celebration will take place on March 25th, on the occasion of Penance and the Feast of the Annunciation.
The former archbishop of Buenos Aires has officially invited all bishops of the Catholic Church to join, amid rumors circulating in the Vatican about the possible presence of the pope emeritus Benedict XVI. Just a hint for the time being: Joseph Ratzinger has not taken part in any public event for many years. But it is not certain that circumstances cannot make the former successor of Peter leave the Mater Ecclesiae monastery to go to St. Peter’s Basilica.
The act of consecration for both nations confirms the Argentine Pope’s approach to the search for peace: for the Holy Father and for the Holy See, the end of hostilities cannot be achieved by cheering the causes of one or the other party to the conflict. The Vatican recognized Ukraine’s right to defend itself with arms, despite attacks received from some progressive media outlets.
The official statement came from statements made by the Cardinal and the Secretary of State Pietro Paroline told Vida Nueva, a Spanish weekly: “The right to defend one’s life, one’s people and one’s country sometimes includes the sad recourse to arms”.
In short, there is no “unacceptable equidistance” denounced by Le Monde. Of course, the Pope cannot speak the language of politics and must keep all channels of dialogue open. In case Ukraine and Russia really wanted conflict mediation to include them Vatican, should the invitation come from both sides: this is the tradition that prevails in diplomatic affairs. And the actors of this historical phase know the practice well. Parolin, in the same quoted interview, reiterated that the Holy See is still available to play the role of mediator.
The consecration is perhaps not the Jesuit pope’s only glaring intervention: the road to a visit to Kyiv is almost impassable. And the Holy Father would always have to accept the tradition mentioned above, just in case to fly. The difficulty of such an apostolic visit and during a war does not prevent many insiders from talking about it: as the recent conversation with Moscow Orthodox Patriarch Kirill shows, Jorge Mario Bergoglio opened a channel for dialogue also with Russian Christian institutions.
Not only that: according to the statement by Aleksey Paramonov, director of the department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs dealing with Europe, the Holy See and Russia they keep talking to each other. According to the Russian summit and reports from the Nova agency, the bishop of Rome “showed sincere interest in understanding the situation in Ukraine as much as possible and forming his own opinion.”
At the same time, from parts of St. Peter’s Square, they once again clarified what the vision produced about the conflict Wladimir Putin: “Rivers of blood and tears are flowing in Ukraine. It is not just a military operation, but a war that sows death, destruction and misery, Parolin thundered again and again with the same words from the top of the Catholic Church in the Mass on March 16 for Peace in Ukraine.