Archbishop Gallagher begins visit to Russia

By Vatican News

Busy days lie ahead, with meetings with Russian authorities, representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Catholic community.

This is the programme for the visit to the Russian Federation by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Holy See Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, announced in a post on X by Terza Loggia, the account of the Secretariat of State.

The Archbishop arrives in Moscow today and will return to Rome on 28 August.

Tomorrow, Tuesday 25 August, the Archbishop will meet Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, followed by a meeting with Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate.

The following day, Wednesday 26 August, Archbishop Gallagher will meet Yuri Ushakov, Aide to the President of the Russian Federation for Foreign Policy.

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.

Archbishop Gallagher’s visit will also provide an opportunity to meet the Catholic community, whom he will see on Thursday 27 August.

The day will begin with a meeting with the clergy, religious men and women, followed by the celebration of Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Moscow.

Afterwards, the Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations will meet with the Bishops.

The Catholic Church in Russia is a numerically small community and is geographically dispersed across a vast territory. Its territorial organization comprises the Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow and the dioceses of St Clement in Saratov, the Transfiguration in Novosibirsk and St Joseph in Irkutsk.

This is not the first time Archbishop Gallagher has travelled to the Russian capital. His most recent visit took place in November 2021. On that occasion, the Archbishop met Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the then head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion.