Pope Francis is not taking a political stand when he speaks out against the war in Ukraine, the Vatican insisted in a public statement released August 30.

The statement stresses that the Pope’s words “should be interpreted as a voice raised in defense of human life and the values associated with it, and not as a political stance.”

The statement immediately continues with a reference to “the large-scale war in Ukraine, initiated by the Russian Federation.” That reference goes further than previous papal statements in identifying Russia as the aggressor.

The brief Vatican statement concludes by saying that in his comments on the war in Ukraine, the Pope has been “clear and unequivocal in condemning it as morally unjust, unacceptable, barbaric, senseless, repugnant and sacrilegious.”