Former Ambassador: Pope Francis Sincerely Respected Serbs, Serbian Orthodox Church

Aleksandar Vucic Pope Francis (Photo: Dimitrije Goll )

The former Serbian ambassador to the Vatican Darko Tanaskovic on April 23 described pope Francis as having "sincerely respected Serbs and the Serbian Orthodox Church in the context of the struggle for peace and bringing people together."

"Even though it was his sole discretion, as the procedure of postulation for canonization had been concluded, pope Francis, in spite of strong pressure, did not canonize cardinal Alojzije Stepinac, archbishop of Zagreb, aware of, as he put it, 'numerous ambiguities' in his case," Tanaskovic wrote in an opinion piece published in the Politika daily.

He recalled that "even though there had been announcements to the contrary on multiple occasions, especially from Pristina, the Holy See never recognized the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo, which is a capital fact not just of bilateral, but also of broader international and geopolitical importance."

"It is to be hoped that, with the departure of this unique pope, the noble principles of hope and philanthropic faith will not leave Vatican City with him. Whatever may come, we will most definitely remember pope Francis," Tanaskovic concluded.