“The Russian Federation against Ukraine will be one of the factors that will influence the decisions of the Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church during the future of the Pope’s elections. This was stated in a comment by Ukrinform, Doctor of Theology Anatoly Babinsky. “The Russian-Ukrainian War is one of the factors that will affect this concala. Maybe cardinals and will not discuss the topics of Ukrainian-Russian relations, but the issue of peace”, – WRITE ON: ua.news
The Russian Federation against Ukraine will be one of the factors that will influence the decisions of the Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church during the future of the Pope’s elections.
This was stated in a comment by Ukrinform, Doctor of Theology Anatoly Babinsky.
“The Russian-Ukrainian War is one of the factors that will affect this concala. Cardinas may not be discussed on the topics of Ukrainian -Russian relations, but the issue of peace and war is just in the plane of the soap date, which churchmen cannot bypass, ”he said.
According to the expert, the situation in Ukraine has already demonstrated that some theoretical constructions that have developed in Catholic theology since the Second World War have collapsed, such as calls for disarmament.
“We do not live in the ideal world as someone could seem. And nonviolent resistance in our circumstances would have become suicide, and even Pope Francis began to understand it. Undoubtedly, it will be a background for this conklav – at least in the opinion of all in general terms, ”Babinsky explained.
According to him, among the list of cardinals-favorites there are those that demonstrate certain sympathies for the Russian Federation or may not fully understand the specificity of processes in post-Soviet Eastern Europe.
“There are candidates from Europe with Russophile views – even condemning the war itself, have some sympathies for the Russian Federation. It is believed that the war is just a vibration of history, they do not want to see its imperialist roots, ”the religious scholar said.
Also, as Dr. theology said, cardinals, for example, from Africa can understand the context of the situation worse, because they come from countries that have a special nature of relations with Russia.
“They do not always see it with a colonial state. For them, colonial is about the event. But at one time I had a meeting in Korea with a local cardinal, who demonstrated an absolute understanding of the situation (it was 2015, our territories were already occupied). Therefore, geography (the region of origin of Cardinal – Ed.) Is important, but not 100%, ”the expert said.
According to him, when voting for the applicants for the throne, the cardinals will be guided by certain criteria they have to meet. First of all, the ability to improve the internal structure of the Vatican and promote the development of the church.
“First of all, it is about the completion of the reform of the Roman Curia (the highest Vatican executive body), so that this center works more efficiently, more in line with the Church’s mission. And it is unchanged: the spread of the Gospel, the Christian sermon around the world, ”Babinsky explained.
In the second place, the Cardinals, according to the expert, will worry the problems of ecology and migrants, and then geopolitics.
“Geopolitics is important, because the Vatican always emphasizes that it is devoted to the principles of labeling between peoples, and here the diplomatic experience of the candidate can be very important. Acute question is relations with Asian states, especially Vietnam and China, where atheistic regimes prevail, ”the religious scholar said.
We will remind, Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican House of Santa Mart.
On April 26, he was buried in the Basilica Santa Maria-Maggiore in Rome.
