Pope greets Russian Orthodox envoy amid peace mission talk

Metropolitan Anthony met Francis after Francis’ weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square. Francis blessed his icon. Francis’ assistant brought Anthony offstage.

Francis recounted his weekend journey to Hungary, where he called for an end to the war. In Budapest, he met with Metropolitan Hilarion, Anthony’s predecessor as the foreign envoy of Patriarch Kirill, the Russian church’s leader, who has enthusiastically supported the Kremlin’s war and justified it on theological grounds.

Francis complimented Hilarion and Anthony as competent and his key channels to Kirill during a press conference en route home. He was questioned if Hilarion and Moscow-friendly Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban might mediate the war.

“You can imagine that this meeting wasn’t just about Little Red Riding Hood, right?” Francis replied.
He pledged to terminate the war. Additionally, a mission is underway that is not yet public. See how… He stated he would discuss it publicly.

Diplomatic neutrality and mediation are Vatican traditions. Before Francis went to Hungary last week, Ukraine’s prime minister called on Francis to help return Ukrainian children taken to Russia.