2013-12-14 19:45:01

Cardinal Koch leaves for Russia, to meet Orthodox Patriarch in Moscow


Vatican City, 14 December 2013: Cardinal Kurt Koch, the President of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, has left for Russia on Saturday. His five day visit, 14-19 December, is seen as an important milestone on the road towards reconciliation between the Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches. The Swiss Cardinal will spend his time in St Petersburg and Moscow, meeting with various representatives of the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, a press release from the Pontifical Council revealed on Saturday.

The Cardinal will be received by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. Cardinal Koch will also meet the Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of Patriarchate of Moscow, who was granted an audience with Pope Francis on November 12 last month. Cardinal Koch will attend a Conference in St. Petersburg, which will reflect on the progress of the Catholic-Orthodox dialogue.

During his visit to the Russian Federation, Cardinal Koch, at the invitation of Archbishop Paolo Pezzi of the Catholic Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow, will preside at the celebration of the jubilee of the basilica of St. Catherine of Alexandria in St. Petersburg. He will also meet the Catholic clergy in the context of pastoral meetings devoted to the Second Vatican Council and the ecumenical dialogue.

On the final day of his trip, Wednesday 18th, he will hold talks with Russia’s vice-minister of foreign affairs and with the Russian Orthodox leader, Patriarch Kirill at Moscow’s historic Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.

Accompanying the cardinal is Dominican Fr Hyacinthe Destivelle, former dean of St Catherine’s church in St Petersburg and currently heading the desk for relations with the Russian Orthodox Church at the Vatican’s Council for Christian Unity. Source: VR Sedoc








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