Image copyright AP
The meeting of Pope Francis and Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, scheduled for 12 February, called historical – it is believed that the two heads of denominations still never personally met
The meeting held on February 12 in Cuba, at the airport Jose Marti in Havana.
The head of the Catholic church and the primate of the Russian Orthodox church will sign a joint declaration on cooperation churches, reported the Vatican.
“The topic of persecution of Christians will be at the meeting of the central”, – said, commenting on the meeting, the chairman of the Department for external church relations of the ROC, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk,
Representatives of the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches expect from this. meeting to strengthen ties between the Vatican and Moscow.
Independent experts believe that in the sudden Patriarch Kirill agrees to meet with the Pope may be the Kremlin, which is trying in various ways to overcome the international isolation of Russia.
Pavel Shashkin, Secretary of the expert Council of “Economics and ethics” when His Holiness Patriarch:
The principal way strategic relations between the churches is unlikely to change, because strategically they are so defined as the relationship between the churches -sestrami
Despite the remaining discrepancies in so many matters -. and canonical, and in matters of practical life, not to mention the political conflicts, in which, of course, and try to engage the opposing sides of the modern church structure – despite this, in recent decades between the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox church lined honest partnership.
Now it is enough difficult situation has developed in the field of international relations, including those between the major geopolitical players, the major powers.
in this situation, the church, which has always traditionally played the role of peacemakers and mediators in complex conflict situations should kak-to coordinate their efforts to achieve the common good, the formation of a just world order total.
In this regard, Catholics and Orthodox on many important international issues are very similar, sometimes similar views.
So the meeting is quite logical
priest Kirill Gorbunov, spokesman for the Catholic archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow:.
in the modern world religion as such is perceived by people as a source of threat -. it does not matter, it is Islam or Christianity
it seems that the people who believe in the supernatural values, a priori consider themselves around the right tend to resort to violence to defend their views. Therefore, Christians of all denominations is very important to show that our main goal – a world between people. And of course, it is impossible to effectively show that, if we do not really seek peace between our faiths.
I think that’s why this meeting is very important.
relationship between the Catholic church and the Orthodox church may seem pretty bad, but in reality the progress that has been made over the last hundred years, is huge -. this is truly a step forward
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, of course, has already met with Pope Benedict, Pope John Paul II, when he was metropolitan and head of the department for external church relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. And it is well known that the relationship between our churches, difficult, problematic, but in fact is also very rich, extensive.
I think this meeting will be the sign that shows that it is possible to develop them further .
I’m sure there will be consequences, there will be new steps in relations between the churches, and not only formal. For the Church the most important thing – the ratio of ordinary believers to each other: trust, sympathy, and I think that this meeting will be familiar to many people – we are called to love each other more and better know each other
Andrew Desnitsky, a leading researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies:
first, we must understand that this is the first meeting in history. The Pope has repeatedly met with the Patriarch of Constantinople, and with Moscow it would be the first meeting.
When people start a dialogue, especially if for this dialogue is very long history of misunderstanding, it is very difficult to expect from the first meeting completely solve all issues. But definitely we can say that it will be some very important beginning, it will be a precedent, it will be an experience, which can then be invoked.
Pope Francis all set to such meetings, and with the Moscow Patriarchate, he was ready to meet for a long time. I think this is its general policy of an open approach to church-sister.
As for the Moscow Patriarchate, this topic has long been discussed, but it was the first time decided to meet. First of all, because we have this year to be held Pan-Orthodox Council, and this Council have two centers of gravity, they become apparent at the talks in Switzerland in early February.
This is Moscow and Constantinople. Constantinople – the historical center of Orthodoxy, the primacy of the chair and the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Moscow -. The center of the largest, richest and most influential Orthodox Church
Accordingly, the Moscow and Constantinople claims to superiority
But Constantinople is actively involved in dialogue with the Catholics at the highest. level. With Moscow until this happened. It’s time.
Second, not so long ago, Russian President met with the pope. It is known that now quite a hot topic – it is, on the one hand, some international isolation of Russia’s policy, on the other – the desire to build bridges with the conservatives of all countries and to act as such a center of gravity
But there is clearly an element of. rivalry between the Patriarchate and the Kremlin: how they met, and we still do not have
Yakov Krotov, a priest non-canonical Ukrainian autocephalous Orthodox church
The meeting of the Pope? and the patriarch, contrary to popular belief – is not the first meeting between the two churches because the head of the Russian Orthodox church, Metropolitan Isidor participated in the council of Florence in the early XV century, and even signed an agreement on the junction of two churches. Contract no significant results have not conceived, moreover, that the Russian Church, on the other hand, arbitrarily and anti-canonical declared itself independent, and left in a split from the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
The Patriarch agreed to meet (after many years when he refused) because he ordered the Kremlin.
This meeting is only beneficial to the Kremlin, which is now facing the threat of universal international boycott. Any meeting with international standing slightly helps to strengthen the reputation of the Kremlin. By agreeing to the meeting, the pope makes an aggressive dictatorship look normal country. It embraces the expense of others. Dad hugs and killed by Russian weapons Ukrainians and Syrians.
Why dad agreed to a meeting? Because inwardly he really is closer to dictatorship than to the free world.
As Gundyaev, Bergoglio was formed in the years of brutal dictatorship as a conformist, preferring to “negotiate with the captors,” even if, because of this someone some of the prisoners would be killed. Dead silence in proof-of-conformism impose survivors.
Do not forget about paid and voluntary Kremlin agents in the Vatican, they have not gone away
Note that the meeting does not take place anywhere in the free world, and Cuba -. an island of dictatorship and slavery
There is a pretext. ” help believers. ” But as a result of such assistance dictatorship encouraged the church a very specific type – such as drip when bedridden patient
A man and under Brezhnev, and under Castro, and under Putin lived without creative freedom, without the business freedom, conscience, assembly. words – almost a vegetable. As a consolation, he offered to suck a lollipop in the shape of a cross. A Cross – no candy for comfort
deforms believers and pastors, and the Church itself.. And what’s the difference, merge the two into one dropper, or not? Firstly, would never unite, and secondly, what a difference! Vatnik Catholic is no different from his jacket, Orthodox
David Willey, BBC correspondent BBC in the Vatican:.
This unprecedented first meeting between the heads Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox church demanded that the organizers no small imagination.
Attempts Pope predecessors Francis to hold a similar meeting in Eastern Europe or even in Cyprus ended in failure, because the ROC always suspected Rome intention to win over . toward Orthodox believers in Russia and Ukraine
For its part, Rome has always suspected that never existed a true separation of church and state in Russia
Meeting in Cuba -. away from Rome, Moscow and Constantinople from their historical burden of division and religious conflicts – Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill will be able to focus on the real dangers that threaten all Christians in the XXI century
The main one is that the current offensive of Islamic. fundamentalism can lead to a complete cessation of the long history of Christianity in the Middle East.
No comments:
Post a Comment