Vatican's top officials to visit Russia soon

17 July 2008, 10:24

Moscow, July 17, Interfax - The cooperation between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church has been revived, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano said after a meeting with Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia in Moscow.

"Catholic cardinals will shortly visit Russia," he said.

The interfaith dialog is "very important for our epoch" and it was touched upon during the meeting, he said.

In his conversation with journalists, Alexy II thanked Italian President Giorgio Napolitano for having created conditions for Russian visitors to have the opportunity to pray in local Orthodox churches.

A Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations official who took part in the meeting told Interfax-Religion that a pilgrimage group headed by Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, Archbishop of Milan, will arrive in Russia in late August and a delegation headed by Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Archbishop of Naples, will arrive in late September - early October.

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