Pope Leo XIV met with a top Russian Orthodox Church official on Saturday at the Vatican. This was the first time he met with a senior Russian cleric since becoming Pope earlier this year. The Vatican shared the news but didn’t give many details.
The Pope welcomed Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, who is in charge of the Russian Orthodox Church’s international affairs. Pope Leo has earlier asked Russia to take steps toward peace in Ukraine.
The relationship between the Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church has been tense for many centuries.
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and even called it a “holy war.”
During the time of the late Pope Francis, Metropolitan Anthony met with him several times, even though many Ukrainians criticized Francis for being too soft on Russia.
Before his meeting with Pope Leo, Anthony told an Italian newspaper that Francis had a “balanced approach” on the Ukraine war, but he wasn’t sure about Leo’s views.
Pope Leo, the first American Pope, took charge of the Catholic Church while the U.S. is pushing for peace in Ukraine. Despite efforts, the war has continued for three years. Earlier this month, he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and has also spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone.
At one point, the Vatican was suggested as a possible place for peace talks. However, Russia rejected that idea and the negotiations continued in Istanbul.
Metropolitan Anthony made it clear that Russia does not consider the Vatican a neutral place for peace talks.
Anthony has been leading the Russian Church’s foreign affairs since 2022, the year Russia invaded Ukraine. Before that, he was based in Italy as a church representative.
