Pope Francis became a popular pope due to his progressive thinking and the causes he advocated for. However, while many believed he steered the Catholic Church in the right direction, others disagreed. Also, during his 12-year papacy, Francis was involved in some somewhat controversial incidents, including not taking a firm stance against Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in attendance at the pope’s funeral. However, Ukraine has criticized the pope several times for his stance on the war. Let’s take a closer look.

Pope Francis has been laid to his final resting place. He became the first pope in over 120 years not to be buried within the Vatican. Pope Francis, born Jorge Bergoglio, wrote in his will that he wanted to have his final resting place in Rome’s Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore and that his tomb should be in the ground, “simple, without particular ornamentation, bearing only the inscription: Franciscus.

More than 250,000 people attended Francis’s funeral service at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican on Saturday. Members of royal houses and world leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump, were present.

The two, who at the moment are involved in intense peace talks over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Donald and Volodymyr had a brief meeting inside St Peter’s Basilica before the funeral service was to begin.

As the Catholic Church is an ancient institution, many believe things should remain the same as they have always been. However, Francis had other ideas, including a desire to modernize the church. He became known for advocating for progressive causes, including support for immigrants and those experiencing poverty. He was also the first pope to label laws that criminalize homosexuality “unjust.”

While Pope Francis was praised for many reasons, there were also scandals. For example, the Catholic Church’s sexual abuse scandal, in which Pope Francis discredited the survivors of abuse in Chile. Later, however, he apologized, calling it a “grave error.” He also defrocked Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, who the Vatican found guilty of assaulting children and adults.

Pope Francis said Ukraine should’ve had the courage to raise a “white flag”

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, world leaders and dignitaries worldwide showed their support for Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. However, Pope Francis received harsh reactions and criticism when he, in March 2024, stated that Ukraine should negotiate an end to the war and have “the courage to raise the white flag.”

“The strongest one is the one who looks at the situation, thinks about the people, and has the courage of the white flag, and negotiates,” Pope Francis said. “When you see that you are defeated, that things are not going well, you have to have the courage to negotiate.”