Thursday, October 04, 2007

Russian Orthodox Patriarch is welcomed by French Catholics



The Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris has welcomed an unlikely guest - the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. Patriarch Alexiy II's visit to the Roman Catholic Cathedral was rich in symbolism, highlighting a thaw in relations between the two churches. Some say it could be the first step towards an eventual meeting with the Pope - something the Patriarch has said could come in a year or two. Speaking to EuroNews, he stressed shared ground between the Russian Orthodox and Catholic Churches.
"I think we both face many common problems. The promotion of ethical and spiritual values, the preservation of family values, the rejection of the immoral propaganda which seems to have flooded the mass media," he said.
On Tuesday, Alexiy II addressed the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. Controversially, he defended his opposition to a Gay Pride parade in Moscow, describing homosexuality as an illness.

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