As the pontiff’s personal peace envoy for Ukraine is working towards a trip to Moscow, a high-ranking official in the Russian Orthodox Church visited Rome this week and met both Pope Francis and top Vatican diplomats.
On June 15, Metropolitan Anthony Sevryuk of Volokolamsk, the second-highest-ranking official in the Russian Orthodox Church, arrived in Rome for an official visit. The visit is taking place with the blessing of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus and comes as negotiations are underway for a second meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill. Discussions are also being held to arrange the visit of Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna, the pope’s personal peace envoy for the Ukraine war, to Moscow.
Sevryuk, as the head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s external relations department, is the second-highest-ranking official in the Russian Orthodox Church and is seen as reflecting the attitude and approach of Patriarch Kirill, including his support of the war in Ukraine.
Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill had a historic first-ever meeting in Havana in 2016 and were scheduled to meet again in Jerusalem last summer. However, the visit was cancelled by the Vatican due to tensions over Patriarch Kirill’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and his defence of the war on religious grounds.
During a high-profile interfaith summit in Kazakhstan in September, there was a brief conversation between Pope Francis and Metropolitan Sevryuk. Sevryuk indicated that a second meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill was still a possibility but required the right timing and circumstances.
Upon his arrival in Rome on June 15, Metropolitan Sevryuk had a meeting with Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States. The Vatican did not issue a statement regarding the meeting, and the Moscow Patriarchate only mentioned that they discussed current issues on the agenda of relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church without providing further details.
During his visit to Rome, Sevryuk also met with representatives of the Community of Sant’Egidio, a Catholic “new movement” dedicated to social justice and global conflict negotiations. Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, who is a member of Sant’Egidio, is considered a leading contender to be elected pope in the next conclave. Zuppi recently visited Kyiv, where he met with Ukrainian officials to discuss proposals for peace.
Sevryuk’s visit included a meeting with Andrea Riccardi, the founder of Sant’Egidio, and Adriano Roccucci, the community’s vice president, to discuss mutual interests.
On June 16, Sevryuk had a meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s Secretary of State. The Moscow Patriarchate reported that Sevryuk conveyed greetings and wishes for a speedy recovery on behalf of Patriarch Kirill, and they exchanged memorable gifts. No further details were provided about their conversation.
On Friday afternoon, Sevryuk met with Pope Francis, who had recently been discharged from the hospital after undergoing surgery. Sevryuk conveyed greetings and wishes for a speedy recovery on behalf of Patriarch Kirill, and they exchanged memorable gifts.
The Vatican has not yet issued a statement regarding the meetings between Sevryuk, the pope, and top Holy See diplomats. It is likely that the agenda includes discussions about Cardinal Zuppi’s expected visit to Moscow as part of his peace mission endorsed by the pope. The Vatican has clarified that the mission is not a mediation role but rather an expression of interest, closeness, and listening to find paths to peace in the Ukraine conflict.
No specific details regarding the timing, duration, or agenda of Zuppi’s visit to Moscow have been released yet. However, Zuppi has confirmed that plans to travel to Russia are being worked out.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Crux Now
