The words of Robert Prevost, the new Pope Leo XIV, on the invasion of Ukraine

One of the most important news stories this week, and I dare say this year, is the election of the new Pope Leo XIV.

Robert Francis Prevost becomes the first US Pope as Leo XIV
The messages shared by Leo XIV about abortion and gender ideology on Twitter

The news of the appointment of Monsignor Robert Prevost as successor to Saint Peter has sparked a logical interest in the statements he has been making up to now. On Friday, I spoke here about his posts on Twitter regarding abortion and gender ideology, adopting positions that are fully in line with the doctrine of the Catholic Church. Yesterday, a video published by @PaxCatholicom went viral on Twitter, includind some very clear statements by Robert Prevost on the Russian invasion of Ukraine (the video is in Spanish with English subtitles):

The new Pope is pro Ukraine 🇻🇦🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/PHxJMTJD4g

— Anthony (@PaxCatholicom) May 10, 2025

Below you can read the transcript of Monsignor Prevost's remarks on the Russian invasion of Ukraine:

It is a very serious problem that is affecting the entire world. There are many analyses of the conflict, of the war that is currently taking place in Ukraine, but from my point of view it is a true imperialist invasion, where Russia wants to conquer a territory for reasons of power, and well, Russia's own advantage due to the issue of strategic location as well as the great value of what Ukraine is culturally, as well as historically and also in production for Russia. Crimes against humanity are being committed, it has already been proven, there are crimes that are being committed in Ukraine. We must ask God a lot for peace, but I believe that we must be clearer too, even some politicians in our country do not want to recognize the horrors of this war and the evil that Russia is carrying out in all its actions there in Ukraine.

As @PaxCatholicom points out, these statements were made by Bishop Prevost in an interview with Semanario Expresión, a media outlet in Peru, on April 13, 2022, when the current Pope Leo XIV was Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, and had not yet been named a cardinal by Pope Francis. You can watch the full interview here. The question about Ukraine that the interviewer asks him and the response of the then Bishop of Chiclayo can be seen at 8:47 of the video.

Personally, I was pleased to read these words from the current Pope, because they are what I have been denouncing on this blog for three years. It is good to call for peace and advocate for an end to violence, but this should never prevent us from recognizing who the aggressor is and denouncing their crimes against the Ukrainian people, atrocities in the face of which we cannot be equidistant, in the interest of a pacifism that equates the aggressor country and the country attacked. These statements reaffirm the good impression this Pope made on me on the day of his election.

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Photo: OSA Agustinos. A photo of Monsignor Robert Prevost published on February 6, 2025, three months before his election as Pope.