During a meeting with Pope Leo XVI, a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church expressed concerns about the 'persecution' that, according to him, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate is currently facing. This was reported by 'Glavcom', citing the propaganda agency TASS.
It was also reported that during the conversation, issues of Orthodox-Catholic dialogue were discussed, as well as conflicts occurring in the world - particularly in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Earlier, Reuters suggested that the meeting with Russian Metropolitan Anthony is an attempt to improve relations between the Vatican and the ROC.
Pope Leo XIV met for the first time with a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Vatican, indicating an effort to ease the strained relations between the churches caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
It should be noted that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused tension in relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Vatican, but the meeting of representatives from both churches signifies an attempt to resolve this conflict and facilitate dialogue.