[1/3] Pope Francis attends a meeting with bishops of the Synod of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church at the Vatican, September 6, 2023.
In a statement that was remarkable for its candour, they said their two-hour session with the pope at the Vatican was a "frank conversation".
They were welcomed by the Kremlin, which praised the pope for what it said was his knowledge of Russian history.
The statement from the Ukrainian bishops said the prelates "expressed the Ukrainian people's pain, suffering, and a certain disappointment" over the papal remarks.
The statement quoted the pope as telling the bishops: "The fact that you doubted whom the pope is with was particularly painful for the Ukrainian people.
Persons:
Pope Francis, tsars Peter I, Catherine II, Vladimir Putin, Francis, Putin, Philip Pullella, Mark Heinrich Our
Organizations:
Catholic Church, Vatican, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, CITY, Kremlin, Thomson
Locations:
Ukrainian, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Mongolia, Russian, propounding