Pope Francis met on
Tuesday with Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Hilarion, who came to
thank the Holy Father for the recent loan of the relics of the
4th century Saint Nicholas of Myra.
The relics, which were taken from the southern Italian city
of Bari to Moscow and St Petersburg, drew huge crowds of
Orthodox pilgrims during the two-month loan period.
Metropolitan Hilarion, who has been a regular visitor to the
Vatican in recent years, heads the department for external
church relations.
Speaking to Vatican Radio after the private audience, the
Orthodox leader said he and the pope also discussed ongoing
tensions in Ukraine, as well as joint efforts to support
Christians in the Middle East.
Despite a warming of relations between Moscow and Rome, he
said there are no current plans for a papal visit to Russia, or
for Patriarch Kirill to visit the Vatican.
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