Pope Francis did not intend to glorify Russian imperialism when he praised tsars who expanded the Russian empire, the Vatican has said, after his comments - made last week - were criticised by Ukraine.
The 86-year-old told young people in unscripted remarks following a speech on Friday to remember that they are the heirs of past tsars such as Peter I and Catherine II.
The two monarchs expanded Russia's empire in the 17th and 18th centuries, including conquering parts of Ukraine, and President Vladimir Putin has referred to their legacies in justifying his invasion and annexation of territory last year.
Pope Francis read his prepared speech in Spanish but at the end, shifted into impromptu Italian and said: "Don't forget (your) heredity. You are heirs of the great Russia - the great Russia of the saints, of kings, the great Russia of Peter the Great, of Catherine II, the great Russian empire, cultured, so much culture, so much humanity. You are the heirs of the great mother Russia. Go forward."
He made the comments in a live video address to Catholic youths gathered in the Russian city of St Petersburg.
The Vatican moved to clarify the remarks today.
"The pope intended to encourage young people to preserve and promote all that is positive in the great Russian cultural and spiritual heritage, and certainly not to exalt imperialist logic and government personalities, (which he) mentioned to indicate some historical periods of reference," spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement.
Ukraine called the comments "deeply regrettable".
"It is precisely with such imperialist propaganda, the 'spiritual ties' and the 'need' to save 'great Mother Russia' that the Kremlin justifies the killing of thousands of Ukrainians and the destruction of Ukrainian cities and villages," Oleg Nikolenko, spokesperson for the Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, said on Facebook.
"It is deeply regrettable that such notions of being a great power, which contribute, in essence, to Russia's chronic aggressiveness, are voiced by the pope, either knowingly or unknowingly," Mr Nikolenko added.
Former Estonian president Toomas Hendrik Ilves, whose country was conquered by Russia under Peter I, said the pope's remarks were "truly revolting", in a post on X.
Russia described the pope's comments as very gratifying, saying that the state had a rich legacy and it was good that Pope Francis knew Russian history.
The pope has been an outspoken critic of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but has occasionally angered Kyiv for unscripted remarks perceived as supporting Moscow's narrative.
Ukraine summoned the Vatican ambassador last year after the pontiff described Darya Dugina, a Russian ultra-nationalist killed in a car bomb near Moscow, as an innocent victim of the war.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin has long sought to deny that Ukraine has a tradition of statehood and says Russians and Ukrainians are one people.
Ukrainian and Western scholars describe this as a false account aimed at erasing Ukraine's 1,000 year history.
