Pope Leo met on Saturday with Metropolitan Anthony, a senior figure in the Russian Orthodox Church, in what appears to be a move toward easing tensions between the two churches amid ongoing global conflicts, including Russia’s war in Ukraine.
According to the Vatican, the pope received Metropolitan Anthony who chairs the Russian Church’s department of external relations, along with five other senior clerics during a morning audience.
The Russian Orthodox Church stated that their conversation covered a range of topics, including the state of Catholic-Orthodox relations and major global conflicts, specifically the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Since taking office in May, Pope Leo has consistently called for peace in international crises. Earlier this month, he told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the Vatican was open to hosting peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
However, Moscow has dismissed the Vatican’s potential role as a neutral mediator, citing its location within NATO-member Italy, a country that has publicly supported Ukraine. The Russian Orthodox Church’s leader, Patriarch Kirill, remains a strong supporter of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a position that has further strained church diplomacy.
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