Is the outrage surrounding Pope Francis justified?

The wording of the Pope in an interview with the Swiss broadcaster RSI has sparked major criticism from representatives of Ukraine and EU officials. The Pope spoke of the fact that Ukraine should not be ashamed of initiating peace negotiations in the face of a possible defeat. This requires a great deal of courage. His choice of words in particular caused outrage, as the Pope spoke of the “white flag.” Critics interpreted this as a call to surrender following the invasion by Russia.

Pope Francis was not concerned with surrender to the aggressor state of Russia, but the willingness to negotiate, explained the press secretary of the German Bishops' Conference. Source: Getty / Getty Images