Russian Orthodox Church delegation walks out of conference

10.10.2007, 13.38

ROME, October 10 (Itar-Tass) - A delegation of the Moscow Patriarchate led by Bishop IIarion of Vienna and Austria walked out of a meeting of the joint commission on the Orthodox-Catholic dialogue in the Italian city of Ravenna on Tuesday, sources in the Vatican said on Wednesday.

The meeting has on its agenda the discussion of primacy of the Universal Church.

The problem of “primacy of a Roman bishop” is a stumbling block in the relations between the Christians of the West and the East.

Besides, the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church objects to inclusion in it of representatives of the Estonian Apostolic Church.

The Russian delegation comprised Bishop Ilarion, a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church to European organisations, and priest Igor Vyzhanin, the secretary of the external relations department.

The commission included hierarchs of other Orthodox churches, in particular of the Constantinople Patriarchate, Romanian and Greek churches.

The Vatican appoints another part of the commission representing the Roman Catholic Church.

Reviewers are of the opinion that the pause in the Ravenna forum can put in question the presence of a number of notable representatives of Orthodox churches at the ecumenical meeting “For World Without Violence: Religions and Cultures in Dialogue” that is scheduled in Naples on October 22.

Pope Benedict XVI is to attend the conference.

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