News

Bishop Hilarion requests the Theologian Commission to examine the ambiguous document adopted at the Orthodox-Catholic conference in Ravenna

Moscow, November 16, Interfax - The Russian Orthodox Church's representative of the under the European Institutions, bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria considers the final document of the 10th meeting of the Joint Orthodox-Catholic Commission in Ravenna should be examined in details by the Synod Theologian Commission.

"The document has got a whole series of doubted conclusions and assertions that are not beard by historical truth," - Bishop Hilarion stated in the interview to Interfax.

By his words, the Ravenna's document "is to be thoroughly examined by a group of the canon law specialists, ecclesiologists and church historians" under the Theologian Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church. Then an official assessment of the Commission must be approved by the Holy Synod of the Russian Church.

The document was not signed by the representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate as they abandoned one of the first Commission's sessions in Ravenna in October this year. They disagreed about a participation of the so-called "Estonian Apostolic Church" established by the Constantinople Patriarchate on the Russian Church's canonical territory in 1996. After that bishop Hilarion stated that the Orthodox-Catholic dialogue may not be considered legitimate without the Moscow Patriarchate's opinion.

In his interview to Interfax he called the Ravenna's assertions doubted, they describe the Catholicity of the Church and Church power on a "universal" level that is on the Ecumenical Church's level. By his words the document's authors commence describing not the modern Roman-Catholic and Orthodox Churches, "yet probably some theoretical Church established on the Church's principles of the Ecumenical Councils period."

The representative of the Moscow Patriarchate has not agreed with the clause 39 of the document where it is asserted that in 1054 after the Schism between the Eastern and Western Churches both the Churches continued assembling councils in the critical situations, and bishops of the Local Churches associated with the Rome See, although it was understood otherwise, and associated with the Constantinople See attended those councils."

"In 2006 in Belgrade I already disputed these assertions and called them contradicted to the ecclesiology self-interpretation of the Local Orthodox Churches." "We are orthodox Christians and consider ourselves of such kind just as we communicate with the Constantinople See, aren't we?" Bishop Hilarion stated.

He thinks, the 45th clause's assertion of the Ravenna document "to examine more thoroughly" a role of the Rome bishop in the communication with all Churches s should be a start point in the next stage of the dialogue's Commission where a primacy in the Ecumenical Church is to be discussed.

"Apparently we will find ourselves in a trap. That is to say: The Roman Catholics would strive to express an ecclesiological model of the Ecumenical Church so that a role of "the first bishop" would be described most closely to that the Rome Pope has got in the modern Roman Catholic Church," - he considers.

In his turn the Constantinople Patriarchate, bishop Hilarion says, "would strive to arrange so that the "the first" hierarch will obtain the rights that he does not have now, but apparently he would have them.

Print this page

Home

News

.	Customize latest news

• Russian Church warns the West against "slipping into a bestial state" 23 September 2022, 12:11
• Patriarch Kirill declares the futility of attempts to intimidate the Russians 19 September 2022, 14:04
• Religious leaders call for ending conflicts, bloodshed in the world at congress in Nur-Sultan 15 September 2022, 14:49
• Some 10,000 believers attending papal mass in Kazakh capital 14 September 2022, 17:16
• Russian Supreme Court brands as terrorist, bans Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan 14 September 2022, 11:42
• Pontiff urges religious leaders to help settle conflicts through dialogue 14 September 2022, 11:41
• Patriarch Kirill: attempts to build world order without relying on moral values led to fierce confrontation 14 September 2022, 11:40
• Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan elected new First Hierarch of Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia 13 September 2022, 20:42
• Catholicos of All Armenians urges world to react to Azerbaijan's actions 13 September 2022, 15:42
• Pope Francis arrives in Kazakhstan's capital 13 September 2022, 15:38
• Russian State Duma may hold hearings on LGBT propaganda ban in Oct-Nov 13 September 2022, 14:50
• Latvian Orthodox Church chooses not to argue with govt about its status 12 September 2022, 10:30
• Patriarch Kirill calls Elizabeth II symbol of sustainability of centuries-old traditions for entire Europe 09 September 2022, 13:02
• Russian Orthodox Church on declaration of Latvian Church's autocephaly by parliament: they surpassed Middle Ages 08 September 2022, 21:45
• Latvian Saeima endorses law on independence of Latvian Orthodox Church 08 September 2022, 19:06
• WCC refuses to accuse Russian Orthodox Church despite pressure 08 September 2022, 17:03
• Court in Primorye overrules order committing Yakutia shaman Gabyshev to hospital 08 September 2022, 10:31
• Russian ombudsman calls for moratorium on death penalty in DPR 07 September 2022, 14:42
• Patriarch Kirill highlights Russia's special role in modern history 06 September 2022, 17:35
• Riga seeking independence of Latvian Orthodox Church from Moscow Patriarchate (updated) 05 September 2022, 17:44
• Russian Orthodox Church outraged by interference of Latvian secular authorities in church affairs 05 September 2022, 15:32
• World Council of Churches refuses to isolate Russian Orthodox Church delegation at its assembly 01 September 2022, 21:32
• Russian Orthodox Church accuses German president of putting pressure on World Council of Churches 01 September 2022, 14:23
• Russian Orthodox Church views Kyiv's sanctions on Patriarch Kirill as PR campaign 31 August 2022, 17:25
• Fines for LGBT propaganda to be from 50,000 to 200,000 rubles for citizens, foreigners may be deported from Russia 31 August 2022, 16:42
• Ukrainian govt approves proposed sanctions against Patriarch Kirill 31 August 2022, 09:56
• Bishops' Council postponed indefinitely due to global situation - Russian Orthodox Church 25 August 2022, 21:06
• Patriarch Kirill calls nationalism a cancerous tumor that can affect entire nation 22 August 2022, 12:43
• FSB reports detention of 6 terrorist cell members in Dzhankoi, Yalta 17 August 2022, 12:02
• Almost all the priests of one of the African countries wants to join the Russian Church 16 August 2022, 10:01

Other news