2009-09-19 12:54:52

Pope meets with Russian Orthodox official, Vatican says ties improved


(September 19, 2009) Pope Benedict XVI met with a key official of the Russian Orthodox Church amid signs of a significant improvement in relations. The Vatican provided no details of the pope's encounter Sept. 18 with Russian Orthodox Archbishop Hilarion, president of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations. The private meeting took place at the pope's summer residence in Castel Gandolfo. Archbishop Hilarion was in Rome for five days of meetings and talks with Vatican officials and Catholic groups, at the invitation of Cardinal Walter Kasper, the Vatican's chief ecumenist. Speaking to Vatican Radio September 17, Cardinal Kasper said the church's relations with the Russian Orthodox have improved appreciably under Pope Benedict, and that the Moscow patriarchate was expected to participate in a major dialogue session with the Vatican in mid-October. "Pope Benedict is highly regarded by the Russian Orthodox Church for his moral positions and also because he doesn't take into account political correctness. They esteem him highly, and this helps our relations," said Cardinal Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.







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