Vatican city: Pope Leo discussed the war in Ukraine on Saturday with Metropolitan Anthony, a senior cleric in the Russian Orthodox Church, in a possible effort to ease ties between the churches strained by Russia’s invasion.
Leo saw Anthony, chairman of the department of external church relations, and five other high-profile clerics during an audience in the morning, the Vatican said.
The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.
“During the conversation, numerous issues were raised concerning the state of Orthodox-Catholic dialogue, as well as the ongoing conflicts in the world, including in Ukraine and the Middle East,” the Russian Orthodox Church said in a statement.
I’m very much against everything that Trump stands for and what he’s doing in America, so I want people to know that Americans know that we are very much pro them, their democracy, but we really want the lies, the falsehoods, the racism, the fascism to stop, so that’s why we’re all demonstrating today.
Since assuming the papacy in May, Leo has repeatedly appealed for peace in global conflicts and this month told visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that the Vatican was willing to host Russia-Ukraine peace talks.
Russian officials, however, have said they do not view the Vatican as a serious venue for talks because it is surrounded by NATO member Italy which has supported Ukraine.
The head of Russia’s Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has been an enthusiastic backer of the invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian church statement said that Kirill’s congratulations were conveyed to Leo for his election as pope.
“Pope Leo XIV expressed his gratitude to his holiness patriarch Kirill for his good wishes and noted the importance of developing relations with the Russian Orthodox Church,” it added.
This report is auto-generated from Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Also Read: Pope Leo tells Ukraine’s Zelenskiy that Vatican could host peace talks