Palalic: Pope Francis had more understanding for Serbia regarding Kosovo-Metohija compared to Leo XIV

BELGRADE - Compared to Pope Leo XIV, Pope Francis had more understanding for Serbia regarding Kosovo-Metohija and was more open to hearing Serbia's positions on the matter, says Jovan Palalic, head of a Serbia-Holy See friendship group in the Serbian parliament.

Even though it might still be too early to take a position on Pope Leo XIV's stance on the so-called "Kosovo", the Vatican will not enter into a process of formal recognition and expects a compromise to be made, Palalic told K1 TV on Thursday.

"They will not do anything that is contrary to Serbia's position, but they will be viewing processes in Kosovo itself by looking at their own interests. We have to pay attention to that because, lately, there has been a noticeable trend of young ethnic Albanians converting to Catholicism. The largest Catholic church in the Balkans is situated in central Pristina," Palalic said, adding that the prevailing belief among young ethnic Albanians was that Islam could no longer give them the possibility of being accepted in Europe.

Commenting on his statement that the Holy See "does not formally recognise the so-called 'Kosovo' but sees it as a reality to a certain extent," Palalic said the Vatican was maintaining contact with the Pristina institutions despite refusing to recognise the so-called "Kosovo" as independent.

The Vatican is adhering to the principles of international law, knowing that a recognition of the so-called "Kosovo" could cause a series of other problems and precedents, he explained.

The Vatican sees Kosovo-Metohija as a territory that could potentially become Catholic one day, Palalic also said.