EuroMaidan Revolution
Michael McGough: Pope Francis can be a player in Ukraine’s identity crisis
As pro-Western and pro-Russian Ukrainians battle over the future orientation of their country, there is a world figure who could offer an important symbolic gift to European-minded Ukrainians: Pope Francis.
Stalin supposedly dismissed the importance of the Roman Catholic Church by asking: “How many divisions does the pope have?” But before and after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia has kept a wary eye on the Vatican’s activities, particularly in connection with the former Soviet Socialist Republic of Ukraine.