The Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill will meet with the head of the Catholic Church Pope Francis in Cuba. The meeting will be held next week. Francis will make a stop in Cuba to visit in Mexico. Patriarch Kirill will be on the island as part of pre-planned visit to Latin America.
told journalists on February 5, President of the Department for External Church Relations Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, the meeting of heads of the Orthodox and Catholic churches I planned for a long time. It “will be the first in history and will mark an important stage in the relations between the two churches,” he said
Cuba next
The meeting in Cuba, where the majority of believers -. Catholics, It will be the first meeting of the highest hierarchs of the world’s major Christian churches in the last millennium. This place is suitable for both spiritual leaders. It is known that Pope Francis enjoys great prestige on the island in relation to the role of the Catholic Church. In Russia, which is the Patriarch, a strong presence in Cuba due to the long history of Soviet Friendship
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The island – a convenient “neutral territory”, the former Catholic colony, became a country of militant atheism and Soviet ally, told “Gazeta.ru” a historian and theologian Andrei Zubov. According to him, the patriarch of the meeting and the Pope can be a stepping stone for the restoration of Russia and the West, because among politicians taking important decisions for the world, as there are many believers
Teeth reminds. Patriarch of Constantinople met with the Pope is not Rome time, but Moscow – ever. The Moscow Patriarchate was established in the XVI century, and only in the Russian Church appeared formal recognition of the autocephaly of the Eastern Patriarchs. “The meeting – a new chapter in the history of Russian Orthodoxy. It is important the fact of the meeting itself. Many among Russian Orthodox Christians are Catholics negatively, and this meeting will soften the relations between churches, “- says theologian
The two previous popes -. John Paul II and Benedict XVI – had planned to visit Russia, but this did not happen . Against the visit actively objected leadership of the Orthodox Church, led by Patriarch Alexy II of proselytizing activities of the Catholic Church in the former Soviet Union. In addition, the Church’s relationship marred by conflict and Greek Catholic Uniate and Orthodox in Ukraine, which escalated after the collapse of the Soviet Union and is still relevant. This issue will be a priority during the meeting Cyril and Francis, said Zubov
Another important question -. Joint statement of the heads of the churches about the genocide of Christians in the Middle East, within the area of the banned in the Russian terrorist “Islamic State” . During the meeting, Patriarch Kirill and Pope Francis “on the subject will hear the voice of almost all the fullness of the Christian Church”, said Zubov.
According to him, the Pope has always shown an interest in meeting with the head of the Orthodox Church, he wanted to overcome the difficulties in the relationship and bring positions closer together.
Use Putin
Vladimir Putin and Francis met twice. For the first time – before the Ukrainian conflict, in November 2013, the second time – after the active phase of the war in the east of Ukraine, in June of 2015. Both times the Russian politician traditionally missed: 45 minutes and almost one and a half hours, respectively. Francis closed his eyes to it, and in 2013 and in 2015. As Pope ignored the criticism and flows in his address from a large part of the Western public, which sees Putin as authoritarians, threatening security in Europe
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For the Kremlin, the Russian president’s meeting with Francis has been very valuable in terms of image, tainted Ukrainian problem. The Pope received Putin warmly, gave him a medallion with an angel, he spoke about the need for reconciliation in the Donets Basin and the Middle East. The Russian leader, respectively, received the support of perhaps the most influential spiritual leader of the West. It is possible to reduce the degree of Western criticism of Russia
For Francis Putin played a different role -. One of the greatest authorities of the Orthodox world. The attention of the Vatican’s hardly escaped scandal three years ago, when in the course of Putin’s visit to Valaam is one of the local monks kissed the Russian president’s hand. Then the politician swung at Monk, apparently in surprise. However, this gesture makes all the effect of the domestic leader in the Orthodox Russian community.
Three days after the second meeting with Putin on June 13, 2015, Francis made an important step for the churches convergence promising to change the tradition and begin to celebrate Easter according to the Orthodox calendar, and it was adopted in Russia.
The assignment entailed Francis and a step forward on the Russian side. June 28 Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), Metropolitan Hilarion (Alpheus) announced that Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill are going to meet. Negotiations between the ROC and the Vatican were in a fairly rapid pace, given the differences between the two churches. October 21 Hilarion met with the pope in the Vatican. After Metropolitan of Volokolamsk held talks with Chairman of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Cardinal Kurt Koch. Perhaps, then produced a final plan to organize a meeting of heads of churches.
Hello, sister
The Orthodox and Catholic churches are considered “sister”, but relations between them deteriorated after the collapse of the USSR.
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In the USSR Uniate grekokatoliki (recognize the Pope but observe the Orthodox rite) oppressed authorities. The situation changed in 1990, after meeting Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and Pope John Paul II. It was allowed registration of the Uniate communities in the territory of what was then the Ukrainian SSR. However, the process is out of control, leading to oppression dioceses of the Moscow Patriarchate in Western Ukraine
After the collapse of the Soviet Union between Catholics and Orthodox there is another problem:. Catholic missionaries sharply intensified its activity among the Orthodox believers in Ukraine. According to Metropolitan Hilarion, this led to a break in the dialogue between the churches. The conservative Russian Orthodox community is still prevalent negative attitude towards Catholicism.
Orthodox publicist, former leader of the Russian Christian Democratic Movement Victor Aksiutchits believes that today the problem of Catholic missionary work in Ukraine is not as prevalent, like before. “Aggressive proselytizing is now no” – says the expert. Actions Uniate still threaten the position of the ROC in Ukraine, says Aksiutchits, but this is due to a greater extent “with the aggressive policy of the Ukrainian government towards Russia».
From the first meeting of the Patriarch of Moscow and the Pope should not wait big breakthroughs in relations between the two churches, but it is extremely important for Russia and the West, given that most of Europe’s population – Catholics, the expert added
Mystic mission
The desire to unite Catholicism and Russian. Orthodoxy occupies the thoughts of the Holy See since the beginning of the XX century, not only for political but also for religious reasons. Basis for this – one of the most influential mystical legends of modern Catholicism, the so-called three secrets of Fatima
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This three prophecies that the Virgin Mary, as the Catholics say, sent the three children shepherds of the Portuguese village of Fatima in 1917. According to them, the Virgin gave them visions, including the Russian, more precisely about the USSR. Vatican shared these visions into three portions and added to them a comment. On the USSR it was the second secret. This prophecy is believed to be warned about the beginning of the Second World War – if Russia will not come back to the fold of Christianity
Pontiff, to whom this prophecy affected fundamentally, was John Paul II.. In 1981 a fanatic shot him in the crowd, almost at point blank range. Pope managed to escape, because the time of the shot, he leaned toward the girl who greeted him with the icon of Our Lady of Fatima in his hands. John Paul II survived and after recovered, told his supporters: the main message of the Virgin – to pay Russia for God. The next pope, Benedict XVI, has not only the right hand of John Paul II, the Vatican and the main commentator of the prophecies of Fatima.
The current Pope Francis, obviously, continues the work of its predecessors. The Kremlin, in turn, also do not mind to continue the rapprochement with the Vatican. Especially now, when it is headed by the pope, who has earned a stellar popularity among Christian believers in the West.
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