The Pope has today spoken to the Russian Orthodox patriarch.
The news service of the Moscow Patriarchate reported that Patriarch Kirill spoke to Pope Francis at an online meeting, with Kirill “expressing satisfaction with the possibility of organising a conversation”.
They discussed the war in Ukraine, particularly the humanitarian aspects of the crisis, and “stressed the exceptional importance of the ongoing negotiation process”.
The Moscow Patriarchate also said they discussed “a number of current issues of bilateral cooperation” between the churches.
The call included Cardinal Kurt Koch, the head of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, the head of the department for external church relations for the Russian Orthodox Church.
Pope Francis thanked the patriarch for the meeting, and said he agreed with him that “the churches are called to contribute to strengthening peace and justice”. He also agreed the Church “must not use the language of politics, but the language of Jesus”.
“We are shepherds of the same Holy People who believe in God, in the Holy Trinity, in the Holy Mother of God: that is why we must unite in the effort to help peace, to help those who suffer, to seek ways of peace, to stop the fire,” he said.
“Those who pay the bill for the war are the people, it is the Russian soldiers and it is the people who are bombed and die.”
He continued: “At one time, even in our churches, people spoke of a holy war or a just war. Today we cannot speak like that. A Christian awareness of the importance of peace has developed.”
Patriarch Kirill has been accused in recent weeks of giving his blessing to the invasion, repeatedly referring to Russians and Ukrainians as “one people” and condemning “external forces” for manufacturing violence.
Religious leaders across the world have called on the patriarch – who many believe holds influence in the Kremlin – to intervene in the interests of peace, but he has had limited contact beyond Russia since the war began.
Pope Francis has also been criticised for failing to condemn the Russian leadership, but the Vatican has insisted that this is its policy to maintain diplomatic channels.
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