Earlier Parolin told Italian media that he will be visiting Moscow sometime in late August, though the trip and exact dates have not yet been announced by the Vatican. It is believed the visit will include meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Vatican diplomat told journalists in June.
Speaking about Russia's influence in the world, Cardinal Parolin noted that though there has been a period of uncertainty around Russia's position on various issues, the country has always been part of the international scene.
Often, he said, we emphasize the differences between Russia and various Western countries as if "they were different worlds," but in this context "the challenge is to contribute to a better reciprocal understanding between those who risk presenting themselves as opposite poles."
"Here there can be no victors or defeated. Indulging your own specific interests, which is one of the characteristics in this age of return to nationalisms, distracts you from seeing how the possibility of a catastrophe is not averted on its own."
This effort doesn't mean the kind of compromise that leads to one side yielding its position to the position of the other, he underlined, but rather "a patient, constructive, frank, and at the same time, respectful dialogue."
This kind of dialogue, he emphasized, is even more important for those questions at the origin of current conflicts and those that risk inflaming further tension.
The cardinal gave a few examples to show that the Holy See has always been invested in Russia and in Eastern Europe generally, such as the visit to Rome by Tsar Nicholas I in 1845, where he had two meetings with Gregory XVI.