Missteps of Vatican Ukraine policy. Eastern Europe expert criticises Vatican-Russia relationship.

"An unwise incline".

Can the Vatican mediate in the Ukraine war? Regina Elsner, an expert on Eastern Europe, believes that the Vatican's ties with Moscow are far too close and one-sided. Moreover, the Vatican is not taken seriously as a spiritual authority in Russia.

DOMRADIO.DE: On the return flight from his trip to Hungary, Pope Francis emphasised that they were working on a peace mission in Ukraine. This was denied by Moscow. Do you think it would be a good idea for the Vatican to mediate in Ukraine?

Regina Elsner (Researcher at the Centre for Eastern European and International Studies in Berlin, ZOIS): In a war, it is always a good idea to try to find ways of mediation. This is something that the Vatican has been very committed to from the beginning, to offer a mediating position to all sides. In principle, that is always a good idea.

But for me, the question is how close we really are to the realities of war. And I have always had the impression in these attempts by the Vatican that they are not really aware of the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in this war. And that makes it very, very difficult to mediate adequately or to make a good offer to both sides.

DOMRADIO.DE: Now the Pope and the Curia have always been careful not to take a position in this war. Russia and Putin are not explicitly named as aggressors. Actually, that would also be a good starting position if one wanted to negotiate.

Elsner: Yes and no, I would say. Of course, it is important to have such stable contact with both sides that we are taken seriously as negotiating partners. However, in this war it is of course very, very clear who is the aggressor and who is responsible for destruction and devastation in Ukraine. And then, of course, it is very, very problematic for Ukraine if the Vatican, as a potential mediator, does not take a clear stance on Russia's war of destruction. Nor - and I would like to emphasise this once again - does it really assess the role of the Church in this war appropriately and judge it publicly.

DOMRADIO.DE: There are good contacts between the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church. Only a few days ago, the Pope received the new foreign representative of the Moscow Patriarchate. What role do these relations, which you are critical of, play?

Elsner: That is part of the problem with this mediation mission. The Vatican has had very, very long and very good relations with the Russian Orthodox Church. This is not only a fact of the last few months, but these relations have been cultivated since the Cold War. We know each other very well. Some of the people who meet again and again have known each other for many years.

Of course, this would be a good starting position to make it clear to this side what is going wrong in this war and also how one assesses this war. But at the same time, there is no equally good relationship with the interlocutors in Ukraine. We do not see the same intensive dialogue activities with people from the churches, the Orthodox Churches or the Catholic Churches in Ukraine. And then it becomes skewed, which is unwise in any case.

Regina Elsner

"There is a lack of a good relationship with the interlocutors in Ukraine."

DOMRADIO.DE: You yourself lived in Russia for several years and are a theologian. What role do the Pope and the Vatican play there? Do they pay any attention at all to what Rome says?

Elsner: That is another problem. In fact, the Catholic Church in Russia is a very, very small church. There have been very strong diplomatic confrontations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Vatican because of this small Catholic Church in Russia in recent decades. And I have the impression that the Orthodox population, which is the majority and which also shapes the political elites, sees the Vatican as a very useful figure in the West, with whom one can make it very clear that one is not isolated and that one has partners in the West. But it's actually not someone you really take seriously on the theological level, as someone who represents a spiritual authority.

DOMRADIO.DE: In your opinion, what would be the best approach for the Vatican in the Ukraine war?

Elsner: Well, in my opinion, the Vatican would do well to focus much more on Ukraine. A great deal of what the future of the region will look like depends on how things continue in Ukraine, how the Ukrainian churches and religious communities come together. It will then also depend on how one can then relate to Russia again. In my opinion, the Vatican could have a much more positive effect here than if we keep trying to reach a good understanding with Russia.

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