Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher’s trip to Moscow marked a definitive paradigm shift in the Holy See’s diplomacy regarding the situation in Ukraine.
We cannot know what was said behind closed doors during the bilateral meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. However, a good deal can be gleaned from the opening remarks from both the Holy See and the Russian delegation ahead of the meeting and at the press conference following it, which were broadcast via video by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Archbishop Gallagher is the Vatican’s secretary for relations with states, a position comparable to that of a foreign minister within the Holy See. He already visited Moscow in 2021, but this second trip, five years later, has greater relevance.
First, it comes amid Russia’s ongoing and large-scale aggression against Ukraine, which began in 2022. Second, Russian-Vatican relations had been mostly excellent under the previous pontificate, which gave great credence to Moscow’s opinions, although Francis said he had urged Patriarch Kirill of Moscow not to be a “state cleric.” Finally, the meetings are the first of their kind to take place under the new pontificate.
Leo XIV has not changed the Holy See’s diplomatic line: It promotes peace
