The Pope’s suggestion that Ukraine ought to ‘raise the white flag’ is utterly inexplicable.
I was surprised and saddened on Sunday to hear that Pope Francis had called on the Ukrainian government to “raise the white flag” and enter negotiations to end the war. He went on to make it worse by saying that this should be done, “When you see that you are defeated”.
These remarks come on the back of comments the Pope made last year where he said that “perhaps (the war was somehow) either provoked or not prevented” clearly blaming Nato. The Pope’s remarks come in stark contrast to his predecessor Pope John Paul II whose refusal to accept the brutality and totalitarian nature of the then Soviet Union, gave hope to the people of Poland in their fight for freedom and arguably led to the fall of the Berlin wall.
Small wonder the foreign minister in Poland questioned why the Pope hadn’t simply called on Russia, the invader, to pull its army out of Ukraine.
The Pope’s remarks, by contrast, were warmly welcomed by President Putin.
Why the Pope should speak of raising the white flag to a people who have suffered so much at hands of Putin is utterly inexplicable.
Here I confess an interest. I am involved with a brilliant British charity that brings food, (in the form of pizzas) and hope to the people of Ukraine, many, close to the front line who since the invasion have no homes left. The charity is called “Siobhan’s Trust/ Hopeful”. I have seen firsthand the desperate unprovoked brutality of the Russians. The resolve of the Ukrainian people is remarkable and moving. How betrayed they must now feel after all they have done to resist Putin’s empire building, having seen their homes destroyed and family’s torn apart now hear the Pope call for them to wave the white flag of surrender.
I am astonished that the Pope can’t see that should Putin succeed in gaining vast swathes of territory, perhaps even the whole of Ukraine then a greater war becomes more likely. Why not simply declare the invasion of the Ukraine an unwarranted act of war, condemn it and call for Putin’s troops to withdraw and then negotiate?
Yet I fear that the Vatican has a bit of form in this area recently when it comes to dealing with dictators.
I have for some time, among others in parliament, called for the Vatican to publish the agreement they reached with President Xi and the Chinese Communist Party. This secret agreement has left many Christians in China being persecuted by the Chinese authorities. Practising Christians have seen their adherents locked up and brutalised, their places of worship smashed up, with little or no comment from the Vatican in support. The same goes for the Uyghur now suffering from genocide in Xinjiang, on that there has been little said. The same in Hong Kong where China has imposed the draconian national security law and is arresting peaceful democracy campaigners.
It would, instead of telling the Ukrainians to surrender, have been good to hear reassuring words from the Pope for Jimmy Lai, now facing a show trial to lock him away for life. Jimmy is an avowed and devout Roman Catholic – a man who bravely chose to stay in Hong Kong and sacrifice his freedom to give heart to all those now locked away in Hong Kong by President Xi’s brutal regime. He is an inspirational figure whom the Catholic Church should and still could embrace.
It is tough for the people in Ukraine as the US fails to deliver the vital aid, and weapons and as Europe is divided about what more it should do. Yet their resolve is clear, from all those I have spoken to in my travels there. They want their country back and they are prepared to die for this cause.
Just imagine what would have happened in 1940 when the UK stood alone. Imagine what we would have felt like if someone had come and told us to seize the white flag of surrender.
The freedom of the West is tied up with Ukraine’s survival. The Holy Father needs to throw his white flag away and instead, hear Ukraine’s simple cry, “help us, don’t abandon us”.