Russia Archives

Parolin presses Russia to give back churches taken by the Soviets
- Vatican
- August 25, 2017
Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s top diplomat, also said that during his meetings with both religious and civil authorities in Russia he spoke about the restitution of the Catholic Churches confiscated during the Communist era, an issue that has been a major bone of contention between the Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches, as well as between the Holy See and the Kremlin.
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Russian Catholics hope Parolin visit improves situation for local Church
- Global Church
- August 24, 2017
Most of the attention being given to Cardinal Pietro Parolin to Russia surrounds his meetings with President Vladimir Putin and Moscow Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. But Russia’s small Catholic community hopes the visit by the Vatican’s Secretary of State will help them get back Catholic churches taken from them in the Soviet era, and convince Catholic leaders to have a louder voice in the country.
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Russia’s Putin says he values ‘trusting and constructive dialogue’ with Vatican
- Vatican
- August 23, 2017
Cardinal Pietro Parolin’s visit marks the first of the Vatican’s Secretary of State to Russia in 19 years. The last to do so was Cardinal Angelo Sodano, who was in Moscow in 1999 to consecrate its Catholic cathedral. During a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, Parolin said the diplomacy between the two countries “compromises various levels and covers the political spectrum and also various cultural initiatives that we pursue.”
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Maduro calls on Francis to help ‘prevent Trump from sending troops’ to Venezuela

Embattled authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro has asked Pope Francis to “help us prevent Trump from sending troops” to Venezuela. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Maduro also criticized the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who’s currently in Russia, where he’s discussed the Venezuelan crisis with Vladimir Putin’s foreign minister.

Parolin and Russian Foreign Minister discuss Middle East, Ukraine

Vatican Secretary of State, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed a vast array of topics during their meeting on August 22. On the agenda were the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, religious freedom and violence in Venezuela.

Vatican’s top diplomat says climate on Russia trip is ‘very constructive’

Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State and effectively the pope’s top aide, is in Russia this week for meetings with both Patriarch Kirill of Mosow, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, and President Vladimir Putin. Though there are some thorny issues between Rome and Moscow, including Ukraine, Parolin described the climate on day one as “positive.”