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