Lithuania, a predominantly Catholic EU member, has summoned the Vatican’s top diplomat to the country after Pope Francis told young Russians to remember that they are heirs to the “great Russian empire,” Reuters reported.

In response to statements made by Pope Francis live during a video address to young Catholics gathered in St. Petersburg on Friday, Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry invited the Apostolic Nuncio for “discussions” after the archbishop returns from vacation, a ministry spokesman said on the air Wednesday.

The Vatican said on Tuesday that Pope Francis did not intend to glorify Russian imperialism in a speech in which he also praised Russian emperors Peter the Great and Catherine II, who expanded the Russian Empire.

The territories of Lithuania and Poland were annexed to the Russian Empire in the 18th century by Catherine II. These countries seceded after World War I, after two 19th-century rebellions against the empire were brutally suppressed.

The intention of Francis was to “preserve and popularize everything positive in the great Russian cultural and spiritual heritage,” the Vatican said.

Ukraine, which was once part of the same empire, said the comments were “deeply regrettable”, while the Kremlin called them “very pleasant”.

Lithuania, a nation of 2.8 million people where three-quarters identify as Catholic, has been a staunch critic of Russia and a supporter of Ukraine in both the European Union and NATO.

The Catholic Church is still respected in the country for its anti-communist and pro-independence stance during its time in the Soviet Union. During this period, the Vatican maintained Lithuania’s diplomatic representation at the Holy See, as it did not recognize Lithuania’s accession to the Soviet Union.