Pope Francis has come under scrutiny after his recent remarks to Russian youths, urging them to remember their historical lineage as heirs of past Russian tsars, including figures like Peter the Great.

These comments have sparked controversy due to their potential alignment with President Vladimir Putin’s justifications for the Ukrainian invasion.

The Ukrainian government expressed deep regret over the remarks, calling them “deeply regrettable.”

During a live video address to Catholic youths in St. Petersburg, Pope Francis initially delivered a prepared speech in Spanish.

However, he spontaneously shifted to Italian towards the end, stating, “Don’t forget your heredity. You are heirs of the great Russia – the great Russia of the saints, of kings, the great Russia of Peter the Great, of Catherine II, the great Russian empire, cultured, so much culture, so much humanity. You are the heirs of the great mother Russia. Go forward.”

While the Vatican released the official text of the address without the impromptu Italian paragraph, religious websites shared a video of the pope’s complete remarks.

Oleg Nikolenko, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, took to Facebook to criticise the comments, linking them to the Kremlin’s imperialistic propaganda that has been used to justify the Ukrainian crisis.

Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Ukraine’s Eastern Rite Catholic Church expressed concern over the pope’s words, fearing they might embolden the ambitions of the aggressor country. He called for an explanation from the Vatican regarding the controversial statement.

Italian website Il Sismografo, which specialises in Catholic affairs, published an editorial characterising the pope’s words as “odd” given the delicate historical context.

The editorial highlighted the actions of Catherine the Great, who annexed Crimea in 1783, and her protection of Jesuits in Russian-controlled areas after the global suppression of the Jesuit order by Pope Clement XIV in 1773. Pope Francis himself is a Jesuit.

Notably, Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously praised Tsar Peter the Great, drawing parallels between his historical pursuits and Russia’s current actions. Putin has repeatedly employed historical narratives to justify the Ukrainian crisis, denying the nation’s distinct identity and history of statehood.

Former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Belarusian news site Nexta criticised the pope’s remarks, with Ilves calling them “revolting.” Nexta emphasised the historical resistance of Catholics in Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus against Russia’s influence.

While Pope Francis has condemned Russia’s brutal actions in Ukraine, emphasising the violation of a nation’s right to self-determination, he has also faced criticism for certain extemporaneous statements.

Last year, he upset Kyiv by referring to Russian ultra-nationalist Darya Dugina as an innocent victim of war, prompting Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to voice strong objections.