Ukrainian Archbishop Says Leo XIV Sides with Ukraine
Archbishop Shevchuk summarized various statements from Leo XIV in recent months: "This is a war in Europe, and Europe must be a party to the negotiations. We cannot negotiate about Ukraine at the level of, say, the U.S. and Russia."
According to Monsignor Shevchuk "we have not heard such a clear position for a long time."
He noted Leo XIV’s use of the phrase, 'Constitution of Ukraine': "I had never heard this term used in international discourse before – for some reason, it had fallen out of use. And the Pope emphasized that today it is impossible to seek any ‘peace plan’ for Ukraine without respecting the Constitution of Ukraine."
He added: "It was a very professional and carefully worded statement – simply mentioning the Constitution, yet saying so much."
Monsignor Shevchuk believes that "harmful propaganda has come through Russian diplomatic channels and reached the Holy See": "Russian propaganda is indeed present there - dangerous, insidious, and extremely sophisticated."
He continued: "For a long time, the Vatican did not believe that propaganda could operate at the level of official diplomatic representatives. They did not believe that the Russian ambassador to the Holy See could engage in blatant manipulation or outright deception."
He cited two Ukrainian Greek Catholic priests, Bohdan Heleta and Ivan Levytskyi, detained by Russian forces. While Russian authorities described humane conditions, the priests’ own accounts indicate they were held in harsh conditions. Both were released in June 2024 in a prisoner exchange.
Archbishop Shevchuk believes that "misinformation at the Vatican often originates in the Italian media, which he claims is biased and can be influenced by Russian propaganda".
"They have their own specific features, but this is precisely the information space in which most Vatican officials live — they read Italian publications and respond to them. Therefore, we understand well how this propaganda works today and the forms it takes," he said.
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