The Ukrainian Ambassador to the Vatican doubts that the relations between the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church will worsen after the election of the new Pope

The Ukrainian Ambassador to the Holy See, Andriy Yurash, shared his thoughts on the relationship between the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church following recent political and religious changes. He pointed out that despite the challenging situation, the Vatican continues to maintain dialogue with Moscow due to long-standing diplomatic efforts that began back in the times of the Papal State in the mid-19th century. He spoke about this in an interview with “Glavkom.”

“Russia has long-standing relations with the Holy See, and of course, the Vatican cannot abandon these ties,” emphasized Andriy Yurash. He also reminded that since the 1960s, from the Pontificate of John XXIII, the Soviet Union actively interacted with the Vatican. Yurash noted that Russia had a permanent embassy to the Holy See during the time of the Papal State.

The Ambassador emphasized that after the start of the war in Ukraine, dialogue between the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church continues but at a lower level. He recalled that Pope Francis canceled a meeting with Patriarch Kirill that was scheduled for June 2022 in Jerusalem after calling him “Putin’s altar boy.” This marked a significant lowering of the level of interaction between Moscow and the Vatican.

“Since May 2022, the dialogue between the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church has continued, but not at the highest level. It is being conducted through working contacts,” added Yurash. According to him, the Vatican is trying to maintain certain channels for dialogue while clearly supporting Ukraine.

“We have fruitful results at various levels, although they are not always public. It is important to maintain the potential for dialogue so that it remains possible in the future,” said the Ambassador.

It should be noted that Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople has expressed his intention to develop dialogue with the newly elected Pope Leo XIV “for the unity of the East and West.” He made this statement on May 8, 2025, during an event at the Vasily and Eliza Goulandris Foundation amphitheater in Athens.