The Vatican’s foreign minister concluded his visit to Russia on Friday, marking a key moment of engagement by the Holy See in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with questions now hovering over the lasting impact of the trip.
From August 24 to 28, Archbishop Richard Gallagher conducted a visit to Moscow, with his schedule including politicians, ecumenical leaders and local Catholics. Gallagher serves as the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organization, and as such his visit to Moscow bore particular significance. The English archbishop has not set foot in the country since the tail-end of 2021, meaning that this was his first visit in Russia since the outbreak of war with Ukraine in February 2022.
Gallagher does not cut an imposing figure. One of the few Vatican officials sporting a beard, the diplomat conveys a quiet confidence rather than a domineering presence. But that did not ring true for his speech to the assembled media, following the highly anticipated meeting with Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. His prepared text was vivacious and firm.
“Let us be clear, this war must end,” he stated, while not shying away from admitting the presence of “lingering and substantial differences” between Russia and the Vatican regarding the war. Gallagher presented the stance of Pope Leo to Moscow, outlining clearly that “the conflict cannot be resolved by military means. It is essential to create the conditions for a serious political and diplomatic process.”
Delivered in Moscow while standing next to Lavrov, Gallagher’s press statement certainly made waves. Since the outbreak of the war, the Holy See’s message has been consistent in urging for an end to the fighting and a lasting peace plan. It is a line which has been delivered by consecutive popes on numerous occasions, and also made in person to both Russia and Ukraine by Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, who served as Pope Francis’ and Leo’s special delegate.
Clearly, Leo is keen for that message to be reinforced and to be delivered in person by his senior diplomat.
Lavrov described their meeting as “very useful”, and made particular mention of the Holy See’s emphasis of the humanitarian aspects of the war. “Any concrete result in the humanitarian sphere will help alleviate suffering and make it possible to restore a minimum level of trust between the parties to the conflict,” he said.
The voyage was not limited to pure politics, however. Gallagher factored in an ecumenical side to it, as he also met with Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, who leads the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. According to details released by both parties, the closed-door meeting dealt with “pressing issues”.
The Vatican described such issues as being related to the “current regional context”, whereas the Moscow Patriarchate referred to them as linked to the “current situation in the world”. Clearly, some slight geographical discrepancy is being employed by one party regarding what areas of the world were actually discussed.
An interesting detail given by the Patriarchate, and left out by the Vatican, was regarding the practice of religion in Ukraine. Gallagher was “provided with information about the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by the Ukrainian state authorities,” according to the Patriarchate.
This brief detail refers to a complicated religious reality in Ukraine. In August 2024, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a bill stipulating that religious bodies must cut ties with Russia, or be shut down. The main target was the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which has historic ties with the Moscow Patriarchate, and hence Zelensky has accused it of assisting Russia. The UOC is a different body to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which was formed in 2019 and was not subject to Zelensky’s measures. Prior to the bill, security forces had conducted raids into the UOC, prompting widespread condemnation from other Orthodox leaders around the world. The Vatican has not commented on the information provided to it by the Moscow Patriarchate this week.
The ecumenical aspect also entailed a visit to Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the seat of Patriarch Kirill. Gallagher was joined by the papal nuncio to Russia, and both were shown around the cathedral by Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk. No meeting took place between Gallagher and Patriarch Kirill – perhaps that would been straying back too much into politics.
Instead, the final stages of the Vatican emissary’s visit were dedicated to the local Catholic population. Offering Mass at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Gallagher was keen to inform the congregation of the Pope’s proximity to them. He urged fidelity to their faith, alongside ecumenical relations which are necessary for the day-to-day life of the Russian church.
This kind of dialogue must be performed “with other Churches and Christian ecclesial communities, with other religions, and with those who do not share our path,” said Gallagher. Yet it is not undertaken at the cost of one’s own teaching or identity, “but by opening oneself respectfully to the truth and the gifts present in the other.”
While Cardinal Zuppi has visited Russia on behalf of the Pope in recent years, Gallagher’s presence there this week was momentous. The full force of Vatican diplomacy was in play this past week, as Leo seeks to implement his much-desired plan of peace which he has spoken about so often.
Russian Catholics will be encouraged by Gallagher’s visit. What remains to be properly seen is whether the Kremlin or Kyiv are able to be moved by any of the archbishop’s arguments.
Michael Haynes is an English journalist in the Holy See Press Corps. He serves as Vatican Correspondent for the Catholic Herald, while readers can follow him at Per Mariam and on X @MLJHaynes.
