December 20, 2013 - The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has "great expectations"
from Pope Francis for a "common understanding" between his Church and the Catholic
Church. Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow expressed his opinion on Wednesday
in a meeting with Cardinal Kurt Koch, the president of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council
for Promoting Christian Unity. The cardinal was on a visit to Russia from December
14, during which he held meetings not only with the local Catholic community but also
with representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry. “We pin great expectations
on the election of Pope Francis because much of what the Pope formulates today and
suggests for the Church and the world and society coincides with our vision", said
Patriarch Kirill told Cardinal Koch in his residence at the Danilovsky monastery.
According to the Orthodox primate, the current historical moment is very important
for dialogue between the two sister Churches, which have common positions on many
issues: peace in the Middle East, the defense of persecuted Christians, to the preservation
of traditional values such as that of the family and of life. "We have more and
more opportunities to meet the Catholic prelates, including members of the College
of Cardinals", said the Patriarch , appreciating the ability to "communicate directly".
The cardinal described the current relationship between the two Churches as "wonderful."
Speaking of the joint action of the Orthodox and Catholics in the protection of the
concept of marriage, the cardinal noted that " the institution of the family is now
in a very deep crisis " and appealed to a common struggle especially against abortion.
(Source: AsiaNews)