Vatican says Pope Francis to visit Kazakhstan; expected to meet Russian Orthodox patriarch who justified Ukraine invasion

Pope Francis called off a planned encounter with Patriarch Kirill in June in Jerusalem because of the diplomatic fallout it would have created

Kirill has justified the invasion on spiritual and ideological grounds, calling it a “metaphysical” battle with the West

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Pope Francis holds a news conference aboard the papal plane on his flight back after visiting Canada on Saturday. Photo: EPA-EFE/Pool

Published: 9:57pm, 1 Aug 2022

The Vatican confirmed on Monday that Pope Francis will travel next month to Kazakhstan, where he could meet with Patriarch Kirill, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, who has justified Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

Francis, 85, will attend an interfaith conference in the Kazakh capital, Nur-Sultan, from September 13-15, the Vatican said.

Francis called off a planned encounter with Kirill in June in Jerusalem because of the diplomatic fallout it would have created. Kirill has justified the invasion on spiritual and ideological grounds, calling it a “metaphysical” battle with the West. He has blessed soldiers going into battle and invoked the idea that Russians and Ukrainians are one people.

Francis and Kirill, who had a first historic encounter in Havana in 2016, have spoken by video call at least once since the war began.

Pope Francis (L) and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill stand together after a meeting in Havana in February 2016. Photo: Reuters

The Kazakh government is hosting a “Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions” from September 14-15. Kirill has been invited and the Moscow Patriarchate has said he would attend.