By Matthew Trojacek
Call between Zelenskyy and Cardinal Parolin: prayers for Pope, peace
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (pictured above) discussed the Holy See’s role in the “path toward peace”
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared news of a March 14 call with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin—whom he had previously met during the cardinal’s visit to Ukraine last July—with a post on his X account. Matteo Bruni, Director of the Holy See Press Office, later confirmed the news at his daily press briefing.
“I spoke with the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Parolin. I wished Pope Francis a swift recovery and thanked him for his prayers and moral support for our people, as well as for his efforts in facilitating the return of Ukrainian children illegally deported and displaced by Russia,” Zelenskyy wrote.
“The Holy See has received a list of Ukrainians detained in Russian prisons and camps. We rely on its support for their release,” he added, underscoring that a prisoner exchange and a 30-day ceasefire would be “the first concrete steps” toward achieving “a just and lasting peace.” He affirmed that “Ukraine is ready to take these steps because the Ukrainian people desire peace more than anyone else.” Zelensky also emphasized that “the voice of the Holy See is very important in the path toward peace.” (VaticanNews)
Syria: massacre of Christian, Muslim civilians by security forces
Brutal violence broke out in Syria in early March, as security forces of the new government launched a revenge killing spree against civilians considered loyal to former President Assad, mainly affecting Alawite Muslims and the country’s shrinking Christian population.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said about 745 civilians were killed in 30 separate “massacres” on the west coast March 7-8, reports the BBC, though other sources put the casualties well into the thousands.
The wave of attacks is the worst violence in the 14-year-old civil conflict in Syria.Videos also show the security forces breaking into and desecrating churches.
Amidst the devastating violence against Christians and others, Patriarch John X of Antioch and the local Syriac and Melkite Catholic Patriarchs issued a joint statement calling for peace, which included these words:
“The Christian Churches, while strongly condemning any act that threatens civil peace, denounce and condemn the massacres targeting innocent civilians, and call for an immediate end to these horrific acts, which stand in stark opposition to all human and moral values.
“The Churches also call for the swift creation of conditions conducive to achieving national reconciliation among the Syrian people. They urge efforts to establish an environment that facilitates the transition to a state that respects all its citizens and lays the foundation for a society based on equal citizenship and genuine partnership, free from the logic of vengeance and exclusion. At the same time, they reaffirm the unity of Syrian territory and reject any attempts to divide it.” (OrthoChristian)
Polish Orthodox canonize priests murdered in Katyn
At its session on Tuesday, March 18, the Holy Synod of the Polish Orthodox Church canonized three priests who were martyred in 1940 in the infamous Katyn Massacre and those who were killed with them.
The priests canonized were Archpriest Col. Szymon FedoroĹ„ko, Archpriest Lt. Col. Wiktor Romanowski, and Archpriest Maj. WĹ‚odzimierz Ochab, along with other “clergy and laity whose names we do not know…Only Almighty God knows them,” reports the Polish Church.
The Katyn Massacre was a mass execution operation carried out by the Soviet NKVD (the KGB forerunner) under Stalin’s orders in April-May 1940. Nearly 22,000 victims — including Polish military officers, police, border guards, and intellectuals who were prisoners of war — were systematically killed. Though the executions took place at multiple locations, the atrocity became known as the Katyn Massacre because some of the mass graves were first discovered by German forces in the Katyn Forest in 1943. In 2010, the Russian Parliament formally acknowledged the Soviets’ culpability in the massacre. (OrthoChristian)
Ecumenical Patriarch attends Pope Francis’ anniversary liturgy
The Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, accompanied by Grand Ecclesiarch Aetios, Director of the Patriarchal Private Office, visited the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit in the Harbiye section of Istanbul on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 19, 2025, in response to an invitation.
There, he attended the Divine Liturgy held in commemoration of the 12th anniversary of the election of Pope Francis of Rome.
Also present at the Divine Liturgy were the Armenian Patriarch of Turkey, representatives of other Christian communities in the city, members of the Diplomatic Corps, and a large congregation of Roman Catholic faithful.
In his address, the Ecumenical Patriarch once again conveyed his warm and heartfelt fraternal wishes for the speedy recovery of Pope Francis. (OrthodoxTimes)
Tallinn Metropolitan slams Kirill: “Russky Mir” is un-Christian ideology
Metropolitan Stephanos of Tallinn and All Estonia, in a statement published on the official website of the Orthodox Church of Estonia (under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate), strongly condemned the ideology of the “Russkiy Mir” (Russian World).
He described it as “provocative, expansionist, and fundamentally un-Christian,” and emphasized that “the root of the current problem was not created by the Estonian people or the Estonian state, but by the Patriarch of Moscow.”
Metropolitan Stephanos emphasized that the Moscow Patriarchate has supported what he considers the highly dangerous ethno-nationalist ideology of the Russkiy Mir, which has direct implications for the Church of Estonia. “The state has made it clear that it does not intend to halt the religious life of the parishes but calls for a cessation of communion with Moscow,” the Metropolitan explained.
He referred to a bill currently under discussion in the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu) which seeks to amend the law on churches and religious associations.
He said, “On March 27, 2024, Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), called for a ‘Holy War’—a confrontation against the Western world, which he portrayed as being under the influence of ‘Satanism.’ This signifies an aggressive stance toward the values of the European sphere.” (Orthodox Times)
Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon: a man of difficult missions
Orthodox Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, 66, is the
Ecumenical Patriarchate’s unofficial “foreign minister”
On the cover of his latest book, Free Children of God, Orthodox Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, 66, appears with a solemn expression, prominent veins, and eyes imperceptibly reddened by fatigue. “That day” — the photo was taken the day an independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine was created — “I had to defend a very difficult position,” he recounted at the book’s release February 26 at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Stephen in Paris.
Emmanuel Adamakis (his real name) is the man of perilous missions in a profoundly fractured Orthodoxy. At the Phanar, the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in Istanbul, Patriarch Bartholomew regularly refers to him as his “foreign minister.”
In his early twenties, the young and fervent Emmanuel decided to leave his native island, Crete, bordered by the Aegean Sea, and board a plane to Paris.
In the French capital, he received a solid education — studying at the Catholic Institute of Paris, the Saint-Serge Institute, the Sorbonne, and the École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), later completing a master’s degree in theology in Boston. But above all, he increasingly felt a calling to religious life. Along the way, he made an impression.
Less than twenty years after his ordination in 1985, he was enthroned as Metropolitan of France in 2003, an important position he held until 2021, when he was elected Metropolitan of Chalcedon and moved to Istanbul.
Notably, he was one of the key figures behind the Pan-Orthodox Council of 2016 in Crete — the first such gathering in nearly 1,000 years. It ended with mixed success; the Moscow Patriarchate withdrew at the last moment, bringing with it four of the fourteen autocephalous Orthodox Churches.
As president of the commission for dialogue with the Catholic Church, he has contributed to historic rapprochement efforts. “Rarely have relations with the Vatican been so good,” says a source at the Phanar. Emmanuel is currently involved in preparing celebrations for the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, hoping to establish “a common date for Easter” and to welcome Pope Francis to Iznik, the ancient city of Nicaea, his health permitting. (LaCroix)
Kyiv Metropolitan meets with Ukraine Minister of National Security
Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv, Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, met on March 21, 2025 at his residence with Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Unity, Oleksiy Chernyshov.
The meeting focused on humanitarian initiatives, spiritual and social support for citizens affected by Russian aggression, the reintegration of internally displaced persons, support for Ukrainians who have received temporary protection abroad, and other pressing issues of mutual concern.
“We are all called by the Lord to show love for our neighbors. Our Church is not indifferent but is always ready to assist the state in vital social initiatives to support those most in need. We were, are, and will remain one people—and it is our unity that guarantees our resilience. I am convinced that with God’s help, truth and justice will undoubtedly prevail,” said Epifaniy. (OrthodoxTimes)
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