On September 15, Pope Francis held a 45-minute press conference on board the plane On the way to Kazakhstan. The Pope participated a summit of world religious leaders in the country's capital. One of the journalists asked whether it is morally right to supply weapons to Ukraine. And dad answered.
"This is a political decision which it can be moral, morally acceptable, if it is done under conditions of morality," Pope Francis.
Then Francis initiated the listeners on the principles of "Just War" of the Roman Catholic Church, which imply the use of weapons for self-defence against the aggressor country.
"Self defence is not only licit but also an expression of love for the homeland. Someone who does not defend oneself, who does not defend something, does not love it. Those who defend (something) loves it," the Pope.
His Eminence also named the conditions under which the use of weapons is immoral.
"It can be immoral if the intention is provoking more war, or to sell arms or dump arms that (a country) no longer needs. The motivation is what in large part qualifies the morality of this action," Pope Francis.
At the same time, the holy father declared that negotiations should not be abandoned even in the most terrible conditions. Even if you don't want to.
"It is always difficult to understand dialogue with countries that have started a war ... it is difficult, but it should not be discarded. I would not exclude dialogue with any power that is at war, even if it is with the aggressor. Sometimes you have to carry out dialogue like this. It smells but it must be done," said Pope Francis.
Here the Pope used the Italian word "puzza" (smell or stench), which is used as an idiom for "pinching one's nose." That is, to do what you don't want to do.
"Sometimes they (the aggressor) does not accept dialogue. What a pity. But dialogue should always be carried out, or at least offered. And this does good to those who offer it," added the Pope.
