While no one doubts the pope's good intentions in seeking dialogue with the Russians, many have urged him to take a tougher stance against President Vladimir Putin's aggression.
Cardinals Raymond Burke and Walter Brandmüller, two of the four cardinals who openly challenged Pope Francis in 2016 over his apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, approved a new declaration April 7 in Rome.
In late December, three bishops from Kazakhstan published a statement on "the immutable truths about sacramental marriage" in response to Amoris Laetitia.
