Just weeks after Pope Leo met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, when the two leaders discussed “the urgent need for a just and lasting peace, Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to meet Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, the head of external relations for the Russian Orthodox Church (distinct from the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine), on July 26.
This will be the Pope’s first audience with the senior Russian cleric, representing Patriarch Kirill, supporter of Russian invasion of Ukraine, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church and a close ally of Russian leader Putin, since Pope Francis’s funeral.
The timing of the meeting follows a call on June 4 between Pope Leo and Putin, during which the Kremlin urged the Vatican to take a more active role in defending “freedom of religion” in Ukraine, particularly for the Moscow-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Russia has consistently accused Ukraine of suppressing religious freedoms due to its ban of the Moscow-linked church, which Ukrainian authorities allege has continued its ties with Russia during the ongoing war.
At the same time, the Russian occupation of parts of Ukraine has led to the destruction of churches, the abduction or killing of clergy, and repression against independent churches and minority religions, according to Ukrainian officials.
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The upcoming audience between Pope Leo and Metropolitan Anthony is what may be seen as the Vatican’s effort to strengthen diplomatic and religious ties with Russia.
Pope Leo also reiterated his offer to host both Russian and Ukrainian officials for talks, although Moscow has previously dismissed the Vatican as a venue for negotiations.
Pope Leo XIV has expressed continued support for Ukraine, calling it a “martyred” country suffering under Russia’s “senseless war.”
Earlier, it was reported that the Russian Orthodox Church, deeply intertwined with the Russian government, absorbed 1,600 Ukrainian Parishes during the ongoing occupation.
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