Sarah Wagenknecht: “Disrespectful Criticism of the Pope” Regarding Ukraine

Criticizing Pope Francis for his statements on the path to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine is “absolutely disrespectful.” As Sarah Wagenknecht, leader of the German party Sarah Wagenknecht’s Alliance for Reason and Justice (BSW), has said in recent days, European politicians seem to be competing to strike the pontiff as low as possible. “These are actually very low blows,” said Wagenknecht, who believes “what is needed in the war in Ukraine is a cease-fire and peace talks, not all new supplies of arms.”

And after clarifications by Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, which were clearly not enough to silence the chorus against the Pope, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin emphasized in an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that “the world risks nuclear escalation.”

According to Cardinal Parolin, the Holy Father “asked for negotiation, not capitulation.” In his address, the pontiff hoped to create “conditions for a diplomatic solution in search of a just and lasting peace.” In this sense, it is clear that “creating such conditions is not only a matter for one of the parties, but for both,” the Vatican’s head of diplomacy emphasized, recalling that “the Holy Father explained that negotiating is not a weakness, but a strength. This is not capitulation, but courage.” These words apply as much to Ukraine as to the Holy Land and to other conflicts that bleed the world.