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# Moscow Patriarchate Official Briefs Vatican Diplomat on UOC Persecution
- URL: https://uoj.news/news/moscow-patriarchate-official-briefs-vatican-diplomat-on-uoc-persecution/
- Published: 2026-08-28T11:30:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-25T16:08:10.000Z
- Description: Metr. Anthony met a senior Vatican diplomat and briefed him on the Moscow Patriarchate’s claims concerning the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
- Author: Tobias Straney
- Tags: #Category: News, Moscow Patriarchate, Vatican, UOC, Persecution of Christians

**MOSCOW —** Metr. Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, [met on August 25](https://mospat.ru/ru/news/94510/) with Abp. Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States, and a Vatican delegation that included Abp. Giovanni D’Aniello, Apostolic Nuncio to the Russian Federation.

Metr. Anthony welcomed the delegation on behalf of Patr. Kirill of Moscow. Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, an adviser to the Patriarch, and Archpriest Igor Vyzhanov, deputy chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, also participated in the meeting.

[![](https://uoj.news/content/images/2026/06/un-committee-publishes-details-regarding-violations-of-uoc-rights-60c075a9eba4.jpg)On this topicUN Committee Publishes Details Regarding Violations of UOC Rights](https://uoj.news/news/un-committee-publishes-details-regarding-violations-of-uoc-rights/)

According to the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, the participants discussed several pressing issues concerning the current global situation. Metr. Anthony also briefed the Vatican representative on what the Moscow Patriarchate described as the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) by Ukrainian authorities.

![](https://uoj.news/content/images/2026/08/moscow-patriarchate-official-briefs-vatican-diplomat-on-uoc-persecution-body-1-ce285346dd6d.jpg)

Photo: mospat.ru

The meeting brought together senior representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Holy See amid ongoing concern over the situation of the UOC. At its conclusion, the participants exchanged commemorative gifts.

Previously, the [UOJ reported](https://uoj.news/news/metr-anthony-presents-church-award-to-presidential-aide-yury-ushakov/) that Metr. Anthony presented a Church award to presidential aide Yury Ushakov.