Religion

News

Archbishop Hilarion shares with Pope his concern about Orthodox dioceses in Ukraine destroyed by the Uniates

Moscow, September 21, Interfax - During a talk with Pope Benedict XVI, Head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Archbishop Hilarion of Volokolamsk pointed out the status of Orthodox believers in Western Ukraine where three Orthodox dioceses had been almost eliminated as a result of coercive actions of Greek Catholics in late 1980s and early 1990s.

The communication service of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations reports that Archbishop Hilarion "stated the need to take practical steps to improve the situation in Western Ukraine," within the territories of Lvov, Ternopol and Invano-Frankovsk Dioceses.

During an hour meeting held Friday in the Pope's residence in Castel Gandolfo, the parties discussed a wide range of issues of bilateral relations between the Russian Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Churches.

Archbishop Hilarion highlighted the importance of mutual testimony by Orthodox and Catholic believers of traditional Christian values before the secular world. He noted the identiсal views of the Orthodox and the Catholic Churches on such matters as family, maternity, demographic crisis, euthanasia and many other ethical problems.

Archbishop stated that there were certain significant differences on these matters between the Orthodox and the Catholics, on the one hand, as well as with different Protestant communities which had pursued the liberalization of the Christian teaching.

In this context, the cooperation between the Orthodox and the Catholic Churches to develop a mutual position on the above matters gains specific meaning, Archbishop Hilarion believes.

Archbishop Hilarion and Pope Benedict XVI discussed the challenges and prospects of the theological dialogue between the Orthodox and the Catholic Churches.
In closing of the meeting, which was reportedly conducted with meaningful understanding, the parties discussed the prospects of cooperation between the two Churches on cultural matters, in particular, holding the Days of Russian Religious Culture in Rome in spring of 2010.

Archbishop Hilarion presented the Pope with a pectoral cross made in the workshops of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Print this page

Home

News

.	Customize latest news

• Beijing: Islamists control regional drug trafficking routes 17 April 2014, 16:27
• Russian people, like Noah, urged not to let the world finally sink in sin, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin believes 16 April 2014, 19:21
• Two chapels and baptistery set on fire in Ulyanovsk region 16 April 2014, 17:47
• Alleged ex-activist of Hizb ut-Tahrir going on trial in Moscow 16 April 2014, 17:11
• Gay parades not permitted in Sevastopol or Simferopol 16 April 2014, 16:59
• Two imams banned from mosque service in Kyrgyzstan 16 April 2014, 15:29
• Kadyrov wants to build a mosque in Sevastopol 16 April 2014, 11:49
• Murderer confessed in his crimes after becoming a believer 15 April 2014, 16:11
• Islamic radicals are unpopular in Crimea - expert 15 April 2014, 11:08
• Putin thanks Russia's chief rabbi for contribution in enhancing inter-confession peace 15 April 2014, 10:00
• About 170 tonnes of matzah made for Passover in Russia 14 April 2014, 10:08
• Two militants suspected killers of Dagestan village imam 14 April 2014, 10:00
• Odessa Diocese secretary moves to Moscow for fear of persecution 11 April 2014, 17:27
• WRPC Human Rights Center supports the idea of criminal proceedings against Gorbachev 11 April 2014, 16:31
• Group of Jehovah's Witnesses followers detained in Uzbekistan 11 April 2014, 14:23
• Roman Abramovich spends half million dollars on Passover celebrations 11 April 2014, 10:08
• Village mosque imam killed in Dagestan 11 April 2014, 10:00
• Russian oligarchs start a pilgrimage across Israeli desert 10 April 2014, 11:39
• Radical Islam followers from Europe, Central Asia fight for Syrian militants - Bortnikov 09 April 2014, 14:03
• Assailants of Dagestan madrasah teacher killed in police operation 09 April 2014, 11:24
• Iraqi Sharia court to try Bryansk pedagogue on earthenware smuggling counts 09 April 2014, 10:59
• Kostroma authorities to appeal court ruling over illegality of gay pride parade ban 09 April 2014, 10:13
• Terrorism, Wahhabism neutralized in Chechnya completely – Kadyrov 09 April 2014, 10:04
• Russian Foundation to deliver Holy Fire from Jerusalem to Crimea 09 April 2014, 10:00
• Priest Grozovsky to be extradited to Russia soon 08 April 2014, 19:45
• Activities of 18 intl religious extremists suppressed in four Russian regions - FSB chief 08 April 2014, 12:30
• Russian prosecutors ask Israel to extradite priest accused of child molestation – sources 07 April 2014, 17:01
• Siberian hermit Agafya Lykova may move from taiga 07 April 2014, 16:50
• Group of Hizb ut-Tahrir propagandists detained in Kyrgyzstan 07 April 2014, 16:18
• Patriarch Kirill compares events in Ukraine to 1917 revolution 07 April 2014, 15:30

Other news