On July 26, 2025, Pope Leo XIV held a significant meeting with Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, the head of external relations for the Russian Orthodox Church, at the Vatican. This marked the first audience between Pope Leo and the senior Russian cleric who represented Patriarch Kirill at the funeral of Pope Francis.
The meeting is widely viewed as a step by the Vatican to restore communication with Moscow’s religious leadership after a period of strained relations following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Pope Leo had previously described Russia’s war against Ukraine as "a true imperialist invasion" and condemned the associated crimes against humanity.
Metropolitan Anthony, president of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, engaged in this dialogue amid ongoing tensions related to religious freedom and the suppression of the Moscow-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine.
This Vatican-Russian Orthodox Church encounter reflects a cautious but notable attempt to reopen channels for dialogue amid geopolitical conflicts, with hopes it might contribute to easing international tensions and fostering religious cooperation.
The meeting was confirmed by multiple sources including ANSA, Reuters, and RIA, and it represents a complex intersection of theology, diplomacy, and geopolitics between the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church in 2025.
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