Pope Meets Putin

The Pope apparently chastised the Russian ruler for aggression against the Ukraine. Never forget that Roman Catholics are a pronounced minority in majority Orthodox Christian Russia. The Pope's call likely fell on deaf ears. Putin is more concerned with realpolitik than with the realm of the spirit. The Pope has no army (beyond a few hundred Swiss Guards) to enforce his will. I believe almost everyone wants peace in the Ukraine. The Pope thinks that peace would mean the absence of violence. Putin thinks that peace would essentially involve Russian control of the Ukraine. Regardless of the Pope's plea, there is no prospect for peace in the Ukraine on the near horizon.