Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Anthony greets Pope at audience

By Vatican News staff reporter

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, was present in St Peter's Square on Wednesday during the general audience, seated next to Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik, prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy.

At the conclusion of the audience, the Metropolitan greeted the Pope, pausing to speak cordially for a few moments.

Pope Francis, as he customarily does at these encounters, kissed the panagia, the medallion with an icon of the Mother of God worn by Orthodox metropolitans.

The Pope then gave the metropolitan a medal of his pontificate, while Metropolitan Anthony in return gave him a panagia in a case.

Working visit

On Tuesday, Metropolitan Anthony met in Rome with Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for Eastern Churches.

As reported by the website of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations, Metropolitan Anthony arrived in Italy on 1 May “with the blessing” of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow “for a brief working visit.”

The notice on the website goes on to say that during the meeting with Archbishop Gugerotti, which took place at the offices of the Dicastery, “a wide range of issues of mutual interest were discussed.”