Pope Leo XIV in Crucial Talks with Russian Orthodox Envoy Amid Ukraine Crisis
Pope Leo XIV is set to meet Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, a senior representative of the Russian Orthodox Church, in a highly anticipated audience on 26 July.
The encounter comes at a tense moment for Vatican diplomacy, just weeks after the Pope’s sit-down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where they discussed “the urgent need for a just and lasting peace.”
This marks the first time Pope Leo XIV will receive Metropolitan Anthony in person. The Russian cleric acts as a close emissary of Patriarch Kirill – a vocal supporter of the Kremlin and the Russian military campaign in Ukraine.
Their meeting is especially significant given the turbulent religious and geopolitical tensions surrounding the war.
Behind closed doors, the Vatican has been walking a diplomatic tightrope. On one hand, it voices solidarity with Ukraine. On the other, it keeps a cautious line open to Moscow.
Notably, the meeting follows a June 4 phone call between Pope Leo and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
During that conversation, Kremlin officials pressed the Vatican to step up efforts to defend “freedom of religion” in Ukraine, particularly for the Moscow-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church, a body now banned by Kyiv amid allegations of collaboration with the Russian state.
Moscow has long accused Ukrainian authorities of trampling religious liberties. Ukrainian leaders argue otherwise, citing a pattern of loyalty between the banned church and Russian intelligence. Kyiv’s crackdown has been framed as a national security measure, not a religious one.
But Ukraine, too, has seen its sacred spaces suffer. Officials report the destruction of churches, the murder or abduction of priests, and the targeting of minority faiths – all allegedly at the hands of Russian occupation forces.
The Vatican’s upcoming audience with Metropolitan Anthony appears to be a quiet but firm move to keep communication flowing – a hallmark of Pope Leo XIV’s approach.
He has consistently offered to mediate talks between the warring nations, though Moscow has routinely brushed aside the offer, refusing to see the Holy See as a neutral venue.
Still, Pope Leo hasn’t shied away from condemning the war. He has frequently referred to Ukraine as a “martyred” nation, left devastated by what he calls Russia’s “senseless war.”
Complicating matters further, reports have emerged that the Russian Orthodox Church has absorbed around 1,600 parishes in occupied Ukrainian territories. The blending of church and state under Putin has never been more apparent.
This upcoming meeting is more than ceremonial. It’s an attempt to thaw a layer of frost in east-west ecclesiastical ties – perhaps even a door, slightly ajar, for dialogue down the line.
Whether it yields substance or symbolism remains to be seen. But what’s clear is this: Pope Leo XIV is determined to keep the Vatican on the map as a voice for peace – however difficult the road may be.
