Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, the Vatican’s secretary for relations with states and international organizations, arrived in Moscow on August 24 for a four-day diplomatic mission aimed at maintaining communication channels during the ongoing war in Ukraine, according to Vatican News.
The high-level visit includes scheduled meetings with Russian government officials, as well as representatives from both the Russian Orthodox Church and the local Catholic community, according to OSV News reporting. The diplomatic trip spans through August 28, following a series of similar engagements by Vatican officials in Ukraine earlier in the summer.
Diplomatic Schedule and Key Meetings in Moscow
According to OSV News, Archbishop Gallagher is not scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his four-day stay. However, his itinerary features discussions with several high-ranking figures in the Russian government and religious hierarchy.
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On August 25, Archbishop Gallagher is set to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, who serves as the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations for the Moscow Patriarchate, as reported by OSV News. Follow-up meetings on August 26 include discussions with Yuri Ushakov, a foreign policy adviser to President Putin.
Vatican News characterized the outreach by stating that the schedule confirms the Holy See’s determination to continue along the path of dialogue, even at one of the most difficult moments in international relations at the global level.
Engaging Catholic Communities Amid Regional Conflict
Beyond state and interfaith meetings, Archbishop Gallagher’s agenda focuses heavily on pastoral outreach to Russia’s small and geographically dispersed Catholic population, according to OSV News. On August 27, he is scheduled to meet with local clergy and religious figures, culminating in Mass at Moscow’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Catholic Church in Russia comprises several distinct jurisdictions, including the Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow, alongside the dioceses of St. Clement in Saratov, the Transfiguration in Novosibirsk, and St. Joseph in Irkutsk, according to Vatican News records cited by OSV News.
Broader Diplomatic Context and Prior Missions
The Moscow visit takes place against a backdrop of intense European diplomacy surrounding the conflict in Ukraine. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, traveled to Kyiv to demonstrate solidarity on the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s Independence Day on August 24, according to OSV News and The Associated Press.
“For Ukraine, independence is not an abstract idea. We defended it against all odds,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha posted on social media, as reported by The Associated Press. “In times like these, nations learn how important it is to have allies by your side.”
Archbishop Gallagher’s current mission follows a five-day visit to Ukraine from July 17 to July 21, where he served as Pope Leo XIV’s envoy for the 35th anniversary of the renewal of structures of the Latin-rite Church in Ukraine, culminating in a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to OSV News. The Vatican diplomat previously traveled to Moscow in November 2021, where he held talks with Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Foreign Minister Lavrov, and Metropolitan Hilarion, then leading the Moscow Patriarchate’s external church relations department, Vatican News reported.
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