Cardinal Zuppi meets Metropolitan Antonij to discuss humanitarian issues

By Salvatore Cernuzio

The “humanitarian issues linked to the conflict in Ukraine” were at the center of the meeting, Tuesday, October 15, between Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, special envoy of the Pope to Russia, and Metropolitan Antonij of Volokolamsk, president of the Department of External Relations of the Church. of the Moscow Patriarchate.

The meeting took place on the second day of Cardinal Zuppi’s second mission to Russia, where he returned to “facilitate the reunification of Ukrainian children with their families and the exchange of prisoners, with a view to achieving the long-awaited peace.” .

In the morning, the cardinal met with Maria Lvova-Belova, Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights, and later with Metropolitan Antonij, accompanied by their respective delegations.

Cardinal Zuppi’s delegation included the Apostolic Nuncio to the Russian Federation, Archbishop Giovanni D’Aniello, according to the Patriarchate’s official website, which also published several photos from the meeting, showing the two men sitting opposite each other. the other at a large table.

In the photos, the “foreign minister” of the Moscow Patriarchate, who visited Rome four times for private meetings with Pope Francis, was seated next to the vice president of the DECR, Archimandrite Filaret ( Bulekov), and Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk.

Greetings from Patriarch Kirill

Metropolitan Antonij of Volokolamsk “welcomed the guests on behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia,” reads the Patriarchate’s press release.

The statement said that “during the conversation, the parties discussed humanitarian issues related to the conflict in Ukraine, as well as other issues of mutual interest.”

Cardinal Zuppi and Metropolitan Antonij had already met on June 29, 2023, during the cardinal’s first mission to Moscow, the second stage of a visit which also took him to kyiv, Washington and Beijing.

The Metropolitan was part of the delegation that accompanied Patriarch Kirill to the meeting with the Pope’s emissary. “We appreciate that His Holiness has sent you to Moscow,” the Patriarch declared on this occasion.

Meeting with Commissioner Lvova-Belova

During his first mission to Russia, Cardinal Zuppi met Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian presidential commissioner for children’s rights, appointed by President Putin.

On Tuesday, the two men met for a meeting which was described as a “constructive” conversation, according to the commissioner herself, in a press release published on her Telegram channel.

She stressed that “the cooperation with the Pope’s envoy and the Apostolic Nunciature in the Russian Federation has lasted for more than a year”.

The central point of the talks between Cardinal Zuppi and Ms. Lvova-Belova was the repatriation of Ukrainian children taken by force to Russia.

According to the Ukrainian government, more than 19,000 minors are affected. A small group has already been able to reunite with their families, partly thanks to the mediation channel opened by the Holy See.

“We discussed the results and further interaction in the interests of families and children, including the reunification of families from Russia and Ukraine,” the commissioner said in her post, providing details on the meeting with the cardinal. “We are doing this with the participation of the Russian Foreign Ministry. We decided to continue working together.

Meeting with Foreign Minister Lavrov

On Monday, upon his arrival in Moscow, Cardinal Zuppi had a meeting with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on “cooperation in the humanitarian field in the context of the conflict in Ukraine” and other international issues.

A ministry statement published the same day highlighted the “constructive development” of the Russia-Holy See dialogue.