The Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, Paul Gallagher, arrived in Moscow on 24 August for a visit. He will remain there until 28 August, Vatican News reports.
On 25 August, Gallagher had a scheduled meeting with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and afterwards planned to meet Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations. Tomorrow he will meet Vladimir Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov.
“The schedule confirms the Holy See’s determination to continue along the path of dialogue even at one of the most difficult moments in international relations at the global level,” the Vatican press office said on its website.
On 27 August, Gallagher will meet with Russia’s Catholic community, and on 28 August he will return home.
Reuters quotes Gallagher as saying that the war in Ukraine must end. He and Lavrov discussed “ways to achieve a lasting and just peace in Ukraine”.
Gallagher last visited Russia in November 2021. Last year he had a telephone conversation with Lavrov, which addressed “the situation of the war in Ukraine and some initiatives aimed at stopping the hostilities”, The Catholich Herald. wrote.
He was last in Ukraine in July this year.
According to the GCatholic.org website, Catholics in Russia account for half a per cent of the population — about 800,000. In Ukraine there are around 4.6 million, which is approximately 14% of the population.