Orthodox Official Makes Catholic Overture

[Natasha]

Orthodox Official Makes Catholic Overture

The Associated Press

MT

ROME -- A Russian Orthodox representative said it was time to overcome the differences between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, and that Moscow was ready to negotiate.

Metropolitan Kirill, chairman of the department for external relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, made the comments to an ecumenical meeting Monday in Aachen, Germany. Excerpts of his remarks were provided by the Rome-based Sant'Egidio Community, which organized the meeting.

"The time has come to change the current situation of difficulty between the Orthodox Church of Moscow and the Catholic Church," Sant'Egidio quoted Kirill as saying.

"Moscow is ready to talk: The issues are on the table. Once these difficulties are overcome, the meeting between the pope and the patriarch of Moscow will definitively turn the difficult page of the past," he said.

Ties between the churches are strained over Russian accusations that Roman Catholics are trying to undermine the Orthodox Church.

The Orthodox Church, highly sensitive to what it views as obstacles to restoring its flock after decades of Soviet atheism, complains that Catholics are trying to convert people who traditionally would have been Orthodox.

Also attending the Aachen meeting was Cardinal Walter Kasper, the Vatican official in charge of relations with other Christian denominations.

[TomS]

Disgusting.

[bogoliubtsy]

When Met. Kyrill says ""The time has come to change the current situation of difficulty between the Orthodox Church of Moscow and the Catholic Church", I believe he's referring to the actions the Russian Church has taken to keep any Catholic diocese from growing, or in some cases maintaining members. I don't think he's talking about a union here, but an easing up on the Catholics in Russia. Nevertheless, I'm sure the Catholics, like the Protestants there will almost always be subject to harassment, arson, etc. by a portion of the Orthodox population.

[Natasha]

I don't believe they are implying anything about a union either, but I do think it is about more than just the problems with the Catholics trying to convert the Russian people.
I wonder what will be "negotiated".

[尼古拉前执事]

Disgusting indeed!

[Natasha]

Russian Orthodox: Time for a Change in Ties With Catholic Church

But Metropolitan Kyrill Says Ecumenism Is at a Dead End

AACHEN, Germany, SEPT. 9, 2003 (http://www.zenit.org).

A representative of the Moscow Patriarchate said that
the time has come for a change in the relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic
Church.
On Monday, Metropolitan Kyrill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad addressed the meeting "Men and Religions," organized
in Aachen by the Community of Sant'Egidio in collaboration with the local archdiocese. The three-day event, which
ended today, attracted 500 religious leaders.
The head of the Foreign Relations Department of the Moscow Patriarchate spoke during a discussion entitled
"Catholics and Orthodox: The Challenge of Ecumenism." Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council
for Promoting Christian Unity, also participated in the discussion.
"The time has arrived to change the present difficult situation between the Orthodox Church of Moscow and the
Catholic Church," Metropolitan Kyrill said.
"Moscow is ready to discuss; the issues are on the table," he said. "Once these difficulties are surmounted, the
meeting between the Pope and the patriarch of Moscow will serve to turn definitively the difficult page of the
past."
On this occasion, he avoided the use of the world "proselytism" -- a term often used in Orthodox circles to
describe the Catholic Church's activity in former Soviet lands.
Instead, the metropolitan referred to "missionary competition," and related it to "the ideology of the free
market of religions."
For his part, Cardinal Kasper explained that the significant presence of Catholics, especially those of the
Eastern rite, in areas such as Ukraine is not due to "a movement organized by the Vatican," but rather is a
reflection of grass-roots spirituality.
In regard to John Paul II's possible visit to Russia, the metropolitan said: "His trip to Moscow represents a
historic event, which must be properly prepared." He added: "The Pope's visits to countries of Orthodox tradition
have had a positive meaning."
Metropolitan Kyrill also said he believes that "ecumenism has met with a dead end."
The ecumenical movement "has become the hostage of humanist secularism which has entered to a great extent in
the churches of the West," he contended.
"If we want the rebirth of ecumenism, we must change our attitude and put the defense of Christian values in
contemporary society at the center of our concerns," the Russian representative added.
Cardinal Kasper acknowledged: "We can learn much from the East, which can be for us a valid counterweight given
the danger of sliding into theological secularism."
Russian Orthodox and Catholics agree that the European Constitution, now being revised, should mention the
continent's Christian roots.

[bogoliubtsy]

Metropolitan Kyrill also said he believes that "ecumenism has met with a dead end."
The ecumenical movement "has become the hostage of humanist secularism which has entered to a great extent in
the churches of the West," he contended.
"If we want the rebirth of ecumenism, we must change our attitude and put the defense of Christian values in
contemporary society at the center of our concerns," the Russian representative added.

It already saddens me to know that someone on this list will most likely find something negative to say even about this very positive statement. Please prove me wrong!