Pope Francis has weighed in on the continuing struggle between Ukraine and Russia by urging the previous to give up and begin negotiating a peace settlement.
The Pontiff made the remarks throughout an interview with Swiss broadcaster RSI, a transcript of which was obtained by Reuters, amid rising reviews Ukranian resolve is beginning to weaken because the struggle enters its third yr.
“I think that the strongest one is the one who looks at the situation, thinks about the people and has the courage of the white flag, and negotiates,” Francis mentioned.
“The word negotiate is a courageous word. When you see that you are defeated, that things are not going well, you have to have the courage to negotiate.”
“One may feel shame, but how many dead will it (the war) end up with? (One should) negotiate in time, find a country that can be a mediator,” he continued. “Don’t be ashamed of negotiating, earlier than issues worsen.
The 87-year-old additionally urged nations to supply to behave as mediators in bringing an finish to the bloody battle that has needlessly taken tons of of hundreds of lives.
“Today, for example, in the war in Ukraine, there are many who want to mediate,” he mentioned. “Turkey has offered itself for this. And others. Do not be ashamed to negotiate before things get worse.”
After his remarks have been scrutinized, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni mentioned he had chosen the phrase “white flag” to be able to “indicate a stop to hostilities (and) a truce achieved with the courage of negotiations.”
When requested in regards to the ongoing battle between Israel and Hamas is the Center East, the Pope mentioned: “Negotiating is never a surrender.”
Such a suggestion just isn’t the one wise remark the notoriously left-wing Francis has made in latest weeks.
Final month, he denounced the rise of gender ideology, describing it as “ugly” and an assault on humanity.
“It is very important that this meeting is taking place, this encounter between men and women, because the ugliest danger today is the gender ideology, which cancels out differences,” he was quoted as saying.
“I have asked for studies to be done on this ugly ideology of our time, which cancels out differences and makes everything the same; to cancel difference is to cancel humanity.”
