Patriarch Kirill Notes Hope to Team with Pope Benedict XVI
(February 5, 2009) Patriarch Kirill expressed a desire to cooperate with Pope Benedict
XVI, bridging the Russian Orthodox and Catholic Churches, in order to promote Christian
values to the world. The Moscow patriarchate reported Tuesday on its Web site that
Patriarch Kirill affirmed "the hope that relations between the two Churches would
further develop in an atmosphere of mutual trust and cooperation, primarily in defending
and asserting the traditional Christian values in Europe and in the world as a whole."
He noted the similarity in positions held by the Orthodox and Catholic Churches regarding
many issues in contemporary society, and stated the hope that this will be the groundwork
for cooperation. Regarding a long-awaited meeting between the Pope and patriarch,
a Russian Orthodox official said that there are no "principled obstacles" to it, but
that he doubts it could happen as early as 2009. Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, the
deputy head of the Department of External Affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, said
that it "is possible to reach an agreement between Churches even today, but unfortunately
it will take time," the Russian Interfax news service reported. Archpriest Chaplin
contended that both the patriarch and the Pope are not primarily concerned about "human
feelings" but about the "preservation of the belief, unity and peace" of their Churches.
"Therefore the power of the patriarch, despite its external volume, is restricted
by a great number of factors, primarily the opinions of the believers, the clergy
and the bishops," he said. As metropolitan and president of the Department of External
Affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, Kirill met for the first time with Pope Benedict
XVI shortly after his papal installation in April 2005. They met again in May 2006
and Dec. 2007.