The full transcript, translated into English, of the Pope’s remarks on the plane back from Mexico, has now been published and can be read here. I was immediately interested to see what the Pope had to say about the Ukraine, but I have to say that having read what the Pope said to the French journalist who raised the subject, I am confused. There is one simple reason for this: a press conference is never going to have the clarity of a written essay on the matter. Reading the transcript, one certainly has the impression that press conferences are wordy, rambling and rather hard to reduce to coherent positions on anything. Several things, however, have emerged. Firstly, when asked if he had been invited to Moscow by Patriarch Kirill, the Pope did not give a direct answer. This can only mean that he has not been invited. I can’t see that this can be interpreted in any other way. If a firm invitation has been given, then why not mention it? Some may be disappointed by this. On the other hand, given that Russia is waging war against Ukraine, and bombing Syria, it may be that the Pope is wise to stay away. In addition, an unasked question hangs in the air: has Patriarch Kirill been invited to Rome? And if so, what was his response? That there has been no announcement about mutual invitations is a sign that relations are still fraught, despite the meeting in Cuba; though the froideur is all on one side, as we shall see from what the Pope said on the situation in Ukraine. Secondly, the French journalist raised the question of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and their reaction to the Cuban Joint Declaration: “They speak of a political document that supports Russian politics.” The Pope’s long reply does nothing to dispel the unhappiness of the UGCC, to my mind. This is not because what the Pope says, but because of what he does not say. At no point does he acknowledge that the situation in the Donbass and in Crimea is the result of Russian aggression. That is something of an omission. Indeed the rambling nature of the Pope’s response is reminiscent of a politician desperately trying to avoid this single fact. It makes painful reading: