MOSCOW, February 9. The Kremlin does not participate in the preparations for the forthcoming first meeting of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill and Pope Francis.
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Asked by journalists to clarify the details of the minutes of the meeting of the primates of churches, the President’s press Secretary Dmitry Peskov advised to go to the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC).
“Of course,” he replied to the question whether the preparation for the meeting, regardless of the Kremlin. “This issue of the ROC, inter-Church dialogue,” – said Peskov.
The meeting will be held on February 12 in Cuba, where Patriarch Kirill will be located during his visit to Latin America, and the Pope will make a stop before the trip to Mexico. Personal communication of the primates will be held at the international airport of Havana.
As was mentioned by the Chairman of the Department for external Church relations Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, “the theme of the persecution of Christians will be at this meeting Central”. He also reported that “the meeting should conclude with the signing of a joint Declaration” on the future relations between the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church. The Metropolitan did not rule out the possibility that Pope and Patriarch will discuss the problem of international terrorism and other issues. “They must, of course, is not limited to this subject (international terrorism). Probably, speech can go about Christianity in the modern world… And we (the ROC and the Catholic Church) equally perceived that the rejection of the Christian commandments, which we have seen, for example, in the countries of Western Europe. And of course, that reactions are sometimes very similar,” – said Metropolitan Hilarion.
Peskov earlier emphasized that the Kremlin appreciated the forthcoming meeting between the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill and Pope Francis. “It is a mutual step forward and, of course, like everyone else, we hope that this meeting will be held successfully”, – said the representative of the Kremlin.
“A huge event”: a meeting between the Patriarch and the Pontiff as a milestone in relations between the churches
