Pope, Russian Orthodox Patriarch, Split on Russo-Ukrainian War, Mull Jerusalem Meeting

Pope Francis is considering a visit to Jerusalem after his trip to Lebanon in June so he can meet with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, Reuters reported on Monday. It would be their second encounter. Francis and Kirill signed a joint declaration in Havana, Cuba in 2016 calling for an end to wars and the persecution of Christians in the Middle East. That was the first meeting between a pope and a Russian Orthodox Church leader since the Great Schism that split Christianity into Eastern and Western branches in 1054. Kirill has split the Orthodox Church worldwide and unleashed an internal rebellion that theologians and academics say is unprecedented by expressing his full support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He reportedly views the war as a necessary defense against what he views as the “decadence” of liberal Western culture. Francis, meanwhile, has made clear his opposition to Russia’s actions, seeing them not as defensive but as an aggressive invasion that has included atrocities. On Sunday, the pope called for an Easter truce in the war, and asked rhetorically what value there is in planting a victory flag “on a heap of rubble.” Sources speaking on condition of anonymity told Reuters that the pope, who is scheduled to visit Lebanon on June 12-13, planned to fly from there to Amman, Jordan on the morning of June 14 and then board a helicopter to Jerusalem. After meeting with Kirill he would return to Rome. Last week, Francis said he hoped to meet Kirill somewhere in the Middle East this year but did not say where.