Church in Russia Deeply Moved by Pope Leo XIV’s Peace Appeal, Says Moscow Auxiliary Bishop

MOSCOW, May 22, 2025: Bishop Nicolai Gennadevich Dubinin, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow, has said that the Catholic Church in Russia is deeply moved by Pope Leo XIV’s call for a “disarmed and disarming peace”, delivered during his first public address on May 8 from St. Peter’s Basilica. The bishop made this statement during an interview with Vatican News. The bishop also mentioned that the Pope’s words struck a powerful chord not only within the Church but across Russian society.

“The pope's appeal for peace has generated a lot of hope among people in Russia,” he said.

Bishop Dubinin added that many Russians also appreciated Pope Leo XIV’s emphasis on unity.

“The Pope repeated that word no fewer than eight times during the homily at the Eucharistic celebration marking the start of his Petrine ministry,” he said. “It was an important exhortation not only for our Church but for all of society.”

The bishop highlighted that the themes of dialogue, solidarity, and missionary fervour, which Pope Leo XIV stressed in his homily, continue the pastoral approach of Pope Francis. 

“This gives us great consolation and new impetus,” he said, calling it a balm that soothes the wounds of a local Church tested by conflict and that continues to pray unceasingly for a complete cessation of hostilities.

Dubinin also highlighted the role of the Church in Russia in remaining above political divisions.

“Our parishes include diverse nationalities, cultural backgrounds, and viewpoints,” he explained. “In this situation, the Church shares with the people all their pains and sufferings. We feel powerless to change events, but we trust in Pope Leo XIV’s action, guided by the Holy Spirit.”

Bishop Dubinin mentioned that when the new pope was elected, much of Russian society, even those far from the Church, expressed surprise and admiration for a man who made an immediate good impression.

“They were positively surprised to see a youthful, energetic, and deeply personable pope, ”he remarked

During the interview, Bishop Dubinin pointed to Pope Francis’s earlier gesture of sending a replica of the Salus Populi Romani icon to Russia.

“The image of Our Lady was a gift that Pope Francis wanted to give us, given that many of the faithful in Russia will not be able to come to Rome as pilgrims for the Jubilee,” he said. “At the close of the Holy Year, the icon will be enshrined in the Moscow cathedral.”

In a remarkable sign of interfaith collaboration, Bishop Dubinin revealed that a group of Russian Muslims translated and published Fratelli tutti, Pope Francis’s encyclical on fraternity and social friendship in Russian, even before the Catholic community completed its own version.

“It is the first time in our history that something like this has happened,” he said. “That document awakened dialogue because Muslims perceived that the encyclical’s message truly addresses all humanity.”

By Federico Piana

Courtesy: Vatican News