The Pope’s special envoy meets with Metropolitan Antonij, of the Moscow Patriarchate, to “open paths to peace”

The special envoy of Papa the cardinal Matteo Zuppi, continue with your visit to Moscow and, after meeting this Tuesday with the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov, He has met Antonij, the metropolitan of Volokolamsk, according to Europa Press.

This is the head of the Department for Foreign Ecclesiastical Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, who already visited the Pope in the Vatican on July 12 in an appointment of which no details were revealed.

As explained by the Patriarchate of Moscow in a statement after the meeting Antonij, the metropolitan of Volokolamsk and the president of the Italian bishops and archbishop of Bologna have agreed to “focus on the resolution of humanitarian issues” and “continue to maintain contacts.”

Also present at the meeting were the apostolic nuncio to Russia, Monsignor Giovanni D’Agnello; in addition to the deputy of the Decr, Archimandrite Filaret (Bulekov) and Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk. “During the conversation, the parties discussed humanitarian problems related to the conflict in Ukraineas well as other issues of mutual interest,” the statement added.

In any case, it has not been specified whether the recent approval in Ukraine of a law paving the way to ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Churchlinked to Moscow until May 2022. The Government hides behind the latter’s refusal to unequivocally condemn the invasion and cut ties with Russia.

The law, while not explicitly banning the Church, established a mechanism to ensure that any religious organization with extensive communication or allegiance to the Russian Orthodox Church will have to sever those ties within about nine months or cease activity.

What is known is that among the missions entrusted by the Pope to Zuppi is the issue of Ukrainian children forcibly deported to Russian territory. As noted by the Vatican, the Italian cardinal has traveled to Moscow precisely “to evaluate new efforts to facilitate the family reunification of Ukrainian children and the exchange of prisoners, with a view to achieving the long-awaited peace.”