Religion

News

Patriarch Kirill hopes to improve relations with the Constantinople Patriarch during his visit to Turkey

Moscow, July 1, Interfax – The Russian Orthodox Church says the main objective of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia’s visit to Turkey is restoring relations with the Constantinople Patriarchate and discussing moot points.

“His Holiness Patriarch Kirill wants this visit to open a new page in relations with the Constantinople Patriarchate. We need to give up confrontation and conflicts and create a system of mutual trust as the local Orthodox Churches make one family,” head of the Department for External Church Relations Archbishop Hilarion of Volokolamsk has told journalists on Wednesday commenting on Patriarch Kirill’s meeting with Turkish Ambassador in Russia Halil Akinci.

According to Archbishop Hilarion, future relations of the two Churches should exclude a situation similar to the one developed in Estonia in 1996. The Archbishop noted, then “Constantinople unilaterally proclaimed its jurisdiction and it resulted in a conflict situation, which still remains unsettled.”

“We hope that Patriarchs of the two great Churches in fraternal communication will find the way to agree over the format of relations, format that will exclude such misunderstanding and be based on total mutual trust and fraternal love,” Archbishop Hilarion said.

He also reminded that Patriarch Kirill had more than once pointed out that “victory” in the inter-Orthodox dialogue is impossible for only one of its participants. According to the Archbishop, such a dialogue should be aimed at victory, at achieving the result acceptable for all.

“Patriarch Kirill will go to Constantinople with the warmest feelings and kind intentions. We hope this visit will also help the Constantinople Patriarch settle his inner problems and we expect this visit to be a success,” the Russian Church official said.

Patriarch Kirill plans to visit Turkey on July 4-6, 2009.

Print this page

Home

News

.	Customize latest news

• Memorial chapel restored at Russian cemetery in Port Arthur 02 September 2010, 16:09
• Russian Church collected over $3 million for fire victims 02 September 2010, 13:19
• Orthodox parishes abroad have to adapt to local traditions 01 September 2010, 17:21
• Patriarch Kirill wishes Russians spiritual strength in standing for national interests 01 September 2010, 15:44
• President Rahmon urges Tajik women not to wear hijabs 01 September 2010, 15:18
• Lenin's monument presented to Ukrainian Greek-Catholics 01 September 2010, 15:01
• Kazakhstan resident who wanted to repeat Christ's crucifixion taken off the cross by the police 01 September 2010, 13:44
• Over 5 thsd people came to the first patriarchal prayer for new school year at Christ the Savior Cathedral 31 August 2010, 15:09
• Russian Emergencies Ministry will teach church representatives to extend relief assistance in emergency situations 31 August 2010, 12:36
• Swiss theologian became an Orthodox 31 August 2010, 11:23
• Moscow needs about 600 new Orthodox churches - Patriarch Kirill 30 August 2010, 15:17
• Last member of Wahabi gang sentenced in Ulyanovsk 30 August 2010, 15:12
• Moscow artist presented icon made of roses to Patriarch Kirill 30 August 2010, 12:25
• Patriarch Kirill consecrates icon on Kremlin tower 30 August 2010, 11:17
• ‘Missing’ Hudamedia Islamic company employee confesses to Dagestani police 30 August 2010, 10:03
• Georgian Patriarch ready to share church lands with population 30 August 2010, 10:02
• Alexandrian Patriarch to celebrate the Assumption services in North Caucasus 27 August 2010, 16:51
• Russian Orthodox Church, DOSAAF to sign cooperation agreement 27 August 2010, 15:30
• Members of a sect in the Urals supposedly burnt wings on the back of a three-year old boy 27 August 2010, 14:03
• Islam is adapted to modern world, head of Russia's Mufti Council believes 27 August 2010, 10:48
• Orthodox church to be built in Beslan to commemorate victims killed by terrorists 26 August 2010, 16:44
• Russia has a Jewish population of one million – Jewish federation 26 August 2010, 16:22
• Caucasus peoples reject Wahhabism - Investigative Committee 26 August 2010, 12:56
• Kremlin superintendant believes to give permission to concert on Red Square Patriarchate's opinion should be considered 26 August 2010, 12:20
• Svetlana Medvedeva visits Cannes church where Great Duke Nikolay Romanov is buried 26 August 2010, 11:41
• Tajik president urges countrymen to call children back from foreign religious schools 26 August 2010, 10:31
• Gays to protest with opposition activists in Moscow 25 August 2010, 18:32
• Religious figures favour establishment of conscience police in Russia 25 August 2010, 18:23
• Church most trusted institutions in Moldavia - poll 25 August 2010, 17:29
• Alexandrian Patriarch to spend his vacations in Pyatigorsk 24 August 2010, 17:49

Other news