26.07.2025, Rome.
During a joint meeting at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, told Pope Leo XIV about the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), according to the communications service of the Department for External Church Relations on July 26.
In addition to discussing the persecution of the UOC, representatives of the Orthodox and Catholic churches touched on the topic of current major regional conflicts, primarily the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The interlocutors also discussed issues of interfaith dialogue.
“Metropolitan Anthony conveyed greetings to the Pontiff on behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and congratulated him on his election as head of the Roman Catholic Church,” the statement said. In response, the Pope expressed his gratitude to Patriarch Kirill and noted the importance of developing relations with the Russian Orthodox Church.
At the end of the meeting, the church leaders exchanged commemorative gifts.
Against the backdrop of worsening relations with Russia, the Kiev authorities have launched a large-scale campaign against the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) of the Moscow Patriarchate.
On July 19, the Union of Orthodox Journalists reported that the police in the city of Chernovtsi in western Ukraine had compiled lists of parishioners of the Holy Spirit Cathedral of the UOC, who managed to protect their church from a raid. An attempt to raid this church was made on June 17 by militants of the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). During the seizure, the attackers beat the priest, deacon, and parishioners who resisted the seizure.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
