Pope Francis interrupted his summer vacation to meet with the number two of the Russian Orthodox church. Metropolitan Antonij, who is second only to Patriarch Kirill, is in charge of the external relations of the Russian church.
The Holy See Press Office reported the meeting, but did not share the reason, images or the content of the conversation.
Relations between the Catholic and the Russian Orthodox Churches have grown distant since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. And expert Fr. Stefano Caprio explains this is a position that is difficult for Patriarch Kirill.
ARCHIVE, 2022
FR. STEFANO CAPRIO
Pontifical Oriental Institute
He was very friendly with the Catholic Church, and then he found himself caught in the middle of this mecanism. And now he has had to take extreme positions. Even, his latest statements seem to be a bit under pressure from the Kremlin.
However, these tensions do not mean a break in relations between the two churches. On the contrary, dialogue has continued over the years.
In fact, Pope Francis' meeting with Metropolitan Antonij on July 11 was not the only one in recent years. He has met with the Russian Orthodox leader at the Vatican, at his General Audiences, and even on trips, such as the one to Kazakhstan, where Patriarch Kirill was supposed to be present, but in the end, only a delegation went insteada.
CA
TR: KG
