The Silence of the Roman Catholic Church on the Ukraine War

Abstract

In the face of war, not only state actors, but also religious actors react and engage in international politics. When studying religious narratives of war, what is not said can be more revealing than what is said. Such is the case when analyzing the Roman Catholic Church’s narrative since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. A striking pattern of silence emerges which arguably has serious implications for upholding international law. Both in an international political (Holy See at the United Nations) as well as a transnational religious context (Pope Francis I addressing followers) the Roman Catholic Church has remained silent on Russia’s aggression and breach of international law.