The Pope praises the Russian Empire in a speech to Russian youth

During his speech to the participants of the 10th Russian National Catholic Youth Day, the Pope called them heirs to "the great Russia of saints, rulers, the great Russia of Peter I, Catherine II, and the great empire of great culture and great humanity."

This is evidenced by the broadcast of the speech. The Vatican press release does not mention this part of the meeting.

On August 25, the Pope spoke to Russian youth via video call.

"Never forget your heritage. You are the heirs of the great Russia, so go forward with it. And thank you — thank you for your way of being, for your way of being Russian," the Pope said.

The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Oleh Nikolenko, expressed his disappointment at the words of the Pope, whose mission, in his understanding, is to open the eyes of Russian youth to the destructive course of the current Russian leadership.

"It is with such imperialist propaganda that the Kremlin justifies the murders of thousands of Ukrainians and the destruction of hundreds of Ukrainian cities and villages," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman wrote.

Svidomi approached the Pope's press service for comment.

Photo: Vatican News