Catholics-Orthodox pledge to work closely in Russia

Published on April 01, 2008

A working group of Russia’s Catholic and Orthodox churches has pledged to counter “media provocations” that could damage mutual relations.

“Group members stressed the importance of exchanging information - they also noted an improvement of the climate, as shown by mutually friendly statements made about the faithful on each side,” said Catholic and Orthodox representatives in a statement released on March 28.

“The information climate can and should improve even further if unfriendly statements are avoided and if both sides oppose the provocations of certain media which seek to aggravate Orthodox-Catholic ties.”

The group, chaired by Fr Igor Kovalevsky, secretary-general of the Russian Catholic bishops’ conference, and Russian Orthodox Fr Vsevolod Chaplin, vice chairman of the external relations department of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, released the statement after the meeting in the city of Vladimir.

It said Catholic and Orthodox representatives would ensure “maximum openness and interaction” in joint youth work, as well as “constant monitoring” of Catholic orphanages, which previously have been accused of “converting” Russian Orthodox children.

It added that the six-member working group - launched in 2004 during a visit by Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity - had acknowledged the “kind mutual relations” existing in Vladimir, where Catholic and Orthodox clergy co-operate on charitable and cultural projects.

Interchurch ties have been strained in Russia since a demand in December last year by Orthodox Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s office for external relations, for downgrading the Catholic Church’s four dioceses in Russia.

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