MOSCOW (AFP) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he would meet Pope John II in the Vatican Wednesday in a bid to heal a breach between two ailing spiritual leaders: the Roman Catholic pontiff and the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Alexy II.

"We have to contribute to the unification of Christianity despite the nuances which separate the various churches and confessions," Putin told Italian reporters ahead of the visit.

"In this context we very much hope to contribute to bringing together the positions of the Russian Orthodox church and the Holy See in Rome," Russian news agencies on Tuesday quoted him as saying.