Aleksij II optimistic about dialogue with Catholics
Aleksij II optimistic about dialogue with Catholics
Moscow (AsiaNews/Agencies) � Russian Orthodox Patriarch Aleksij II said
today he was optimistic about the prospects for dialogue with the
Vatican.
This greater willingness to engage in a dialogue comes after Pope
Benedict XVI spoke about the need for Christian unity, especially of
the importance of taking �concrete steps� towards improving relations
between the Churches.
The Patriarch referred to relations with the Vatican in a long
interview with the daily Russkaja Gazeta.
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has always been a critic of the
Catholic Church�s so-called proselytising activities in the post-Soviet
region, an allegation that prevented Pope John Paul II from travelling
to Moscow.
However, in the newspaper interview, Aleksij II said he hoped that �the
Vatican would translate words into deeds and take the steps necessary
to overcome the existing problems and thus favour the positive
development of dialogue and cooperation�.
�Christians,� the Patriarch finally said, �need to cooperate in today�s
complex world that some are trying to cut off from God�.