http://directionstoorthodoxy.org/mod/ne ... le_id=6246
Posted on Tue Nov 15 2005:
The joint commission was set up in 2004 after a visit to Moscow by Cardinal Walter Kasper, the president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity. Mixed signals on Rome-Moscow ties
Moscow/Rome, Nov. 15 (CWNews.com) - A top official of the Russian Orthodox Church has insisted that the the Moscow patriarchate is committed to ecumenical dialogue with the Vatican, but claimed the process has been slowed by a lack of responsiveness from Rome.
Moscow/Rome, Nov. 15 (CWNews.com) - A top official of the Russian Orthodox Church has insisted that the the Moscow patriarchate is committed to ecumenical dialogue with the Vatican, but claimed the process has been slowed by a lack of responsiveness from Rome.
The complaint from the Russian hierarchy mirrors the expressions of frustrations by Vatican officials, who have frequently said that they hope for greater ecumenical progress but cannot secure the cooperation of Moscow.
In an interview with the Interfax news service, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk, the top ecumenical officer for the Moscow patriarchate, reported that the work of a joint Catholic-Orthodox commission "has been virtually stalled, through no fault of ours." He did not explain how the commission's work was being slowed, or by whom; but the implication clearly was that the fault lay with the Vatican.
The joint commission was set up in 2004 after a visit to Moscow by Cardinal Walter Kasper, the president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity. The group is designed to discuss differences between the Catholic and Orthodox viewpoints on issues such as "proselytism" and the work of Catholic evangelists in traditionally Orthodox territories. Metropolitan Kirill told Interfax that the commission is an "adequate instrument" for ecumenical dialogue, and no new initiatives are required.
Metropolitan Kirill said that cooperation between Rome and Moscow is essential today, in light of the decline in Christian influence throughout Europe. He mentioned that he had met with Pope Benedict XVI in April, and spoken about "the need to protect Christian values-- which, to our regret, are losing their influence on life in Europe and life in some other places outside Europe."
In Rome, meanwhile, Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan announced that a representative of the Moscow patriarchate will participate in the 20th international conference organized by the Pontifical Council for Health Care. Georgy Rochchin, an official of the external-relations arm of the Russian Orthodox Church, will attend the conference in Rome as a personal representative of Patriarch Alexei II.
Cardinal Lozano Barragan told a news conference in Rome that the Russian official's attendance was "a sign of the good will of our Orthodox brothers." Metropolitan Nicolaos, the president of a bioethics committee set up by the Greek Orthodox synod, will also attend.
Printable Version of This Article
Email This Article to a Friend