Head of the DECR MP meets with Pope and Vatican Secretary of State

Metropolitan Anthony and Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin. Photo: DECR MP

The head of the DECR of the Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan Anthony met with Pope Francis in the Vatican on 16 June 2023, reports the Moscow Patriarchate's official website. The Metropolitan also met with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Gallagher.

Reports of the meetings say that the two sides discussed "a number of issues on the current agenda of relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church," as well as "a wide range of topical issues of bilateral relations".

In a commentary to RIA-Novosti, Metropolitan Anthony spoke about the possibility of a meeting between Patriarch Kirill and Vatican negotiator Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, who has recently visited Kyiv.

"A meeting between Cardinal Matteo Zuppi in the event of his visit to Moscow with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia is not ruled out, if the cardinal expresses such a wish and the work schedule of His Holiness the Patriarch allows," Metropolitan Anthony said.

As reported, the Pope's envoy is going to visit Moscow on a "peacekeeping mission".

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