Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher told Catholic clergy and Religious men and women in Russia that they were “agents of peace” as he reflected on his visit to the country last week. The archbishop, who serves as the Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, travelled to Moscow from August 24 to 28 to meet with Russian officials but also made pastoral visits to the Catholic Church in Russia.

Archbishop Gallagher called on the Church to be a peacemaker and a builder of bridges in the country, stating that: “to build a bridge means recognising the distance between two shores – the division, hatred and misunderstanding – and refusing to accept that this distance is insurmountable”.

Speaking to Vatican News, he said: “In my conversation with the Religious men, Religious women and clergy, I told them that they are already agents of peace, and they are so in their daily lives, every time they build small bridges.”

“They have an influence on society, they are neighbours, they are people who carry forward the charitable works of the Church, who are present through our educational and also healthcare institutions. And this is a tangible manifestation of the Church’s commitment in favour of reconciliation and peace.”

Archbishop Gallagher said he was impressed by the testimonies he heard during his meetings with Religious men and women “because despite the very limited resources of these communities, which are also very few in number for this immense country, they do what they can with great perseverance.

“I did not hear anyone complain about their conditions; on the contrary, I perceived their joy over the service they offer here in Russia today.”

Noting that part of the Church’s mission is facilitating dialogue, he called for increased communication “with other Churches and Christian ecclesial communities, with other religions, and with those who do not share our path.”

His words came at the conclusion of his visit to Moscow on August 27, as he celebrated Mass in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, attended by the Catholic bishops of Russia. Archbishop Gallagher said he was encouraged by the attendance at the Mass, stating that: “one could perceive a true intensity of the religious experience”.

He said that “one can perhaps have a superficial impression of the small Catholic groups scattered throughout this enormous city, but seeing them gathered in this beautiful cathedral to bear witness to the vitality of their faith impressed me greatly.”

“It was truly a demonstration of affection, above all towards the Holy Father, and one can see that these bonds of love, bonds with the successor of Peter, are very strong here. This is truly a reason for immense satisfaction.”

As of 2025, there were just under 800,000 Latin-rite Catholics in Russia across 396 parishes. The Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow oversees its three suffragan dioceses of St Clement at Saratov, St Joseph at Irkutsk and the Transfiguration at Novosibirsk, served by six bishops, 304 priests and 338 nuns.

As part of Archbishop Gallagher’s visit, he also met with senior prelates of the Russian Orthodox Moscow Patriarchate. The archbishop described the Holy See’s relationship with Metropolitan Antonij of Volokolamsk, who serves as chairman of the department for external Church relations, as “very cordial” and “fraternal”.

“He often comes to meet the Holy Father, the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and myself,” Archbishop Gallagher said. “What we had was not a meeting on ecumenical dialogue in the strict sense, which falls under the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, but we considered it appropriate to meet in order to address various subjects, including those connected with the current situation.

“It was a very encouraging meeting, which demonstrated that we share very many things, even though a different view remains on some questions, but at the same time we seek to encourage one another to follow the path of the Gospel.”