Archbishop Gallagher reflects on visit to Russia, meeting with foreign minister
September 01, 2026
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CWN Editor's Note: Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, discussed his recent visit to Russia, including his meeting with Sergey Lavrov, the nation’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.
“We know very well that, historically, all conflicts, all wars end with a negotiation, with an agreement, and then one begins to restore relations between the former belligerents. In this sense, diplomacy offers and promises a possible solution,” said Archbishop Gallagher, as he discussed the Russo-Ukrainian war. “This is also what we, as a Church, have the responsibility and the duty to proclaim.”
“We went to Moscow to speak of peace, to encourage souls troubled by war, and to say: have courage, embrace the path of peace, have the hope of believing in a better day,” he added. “The Holy See does not enter into the details of the negotiations, nor does it propose technical solutions, because this is the direct responsibility of the belligerent parties. The Holy See, instead, recalls this responsibility and invites them to show goodwill in order to seriously begin a dialogue.”
Archbishop Gallagher also spoke about the devotion of Moscow’s Catholics and his “very encouraging meeting” with Metropolitan Antonij of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations.
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