Russian Orthodox
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and Pope Francis meet in 2016 in Havana.
Swiss Cardinal Kurt Koch (right) is greeting Metropolitan Hilarion of
Volokolamsk, head of external relations for the Russian Orthodox Church.
Dialogue with the other 13
Orthodox Churches, apart from the Russian Orthodox, has not ceased, the
President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity,
Cardinal Kurt Koch, told the official website of the German bishops’
conference 'katholisch.de' in a long interview last week.
He was referring to the fact that the Russian Orthodox Church has
broken off contact with the Ecumenical Patriarchate and withdrawn from
the Catholic Orthodox dialogue commission. This followed the Ecumenical
Patriarch of Constantinople recognising the independence of the
Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
“The Russian-Orthodox Patriarchate has decided no longer to take part
on those panels that are co-presided by Constantinople. That includes
our International Dialogue Commission of which I am president on the
Catholic side and Archbishop Job of Telmessos (at Chambésy) on the
Greek-Orthodox side”, Koch explained. That meant that the
Russian-Orthodox Church had not attended the last meeting of the
coordination committee on how Catholic-Orthodox dialogue was proceeding
which was held at the Bose Ecumenical Community in Italy in
mid-November.
“That is, of course, much to be regretted”, Koch said but he recalled
that this was not the first time this had happened. In 2007, after
Constantinople had recognised the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church’s
autonomous structure, the Moscow Patriarchate had not attended the
plenary of the Ravenna Commission. “However, according to a resolution
agreed upon by all the Orthodox Churches, dialogue continues even if one
Church decides not to attend. Work with the other 13 Orthodox Churches
therefore continues”.
Despite the fact that the Moscow Patriarchate had withdrawn from the
Bose meeting, which was presided over by himself and Archbishop Job of
Telmessos, the commission members had “worked through” the draft of a
joint document on “Synodality and (Papal) Primacy in the Second
Millennium and Today”. As it was such a complicated issue, however, they
had not been able to complete the discussions but planned to do so in
November 2019. “The atmosphere at Bose was very positive”, Koch
underlined. “The determination to continue with our efforts is there and
it is indispensable if we are to achieve unity.”
Asked if dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Moscow
Patriarchate was now so to speak “off the air” Koch replied, “No. Our
bilateral talks and contacts are, of course, continuing, just as they
are with Constantinople. We will continue to celebrate the anniversary
of the meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill in Cuba in
2016. Last year’s celebration took place in Vienna. Next year’s is
planned for February 2019 and will probably be in Moscow”.
As far as the situation in Ukraine was concerned, the Vatican was
remaining strictly neutral. “This is an inner-Orthodox problem in which
we will not get involved, but we are naturally concerned and are praying
that a solution will be found”.
The cardinal was also interviewed at length on the consequences of the 2017 Reformation Anniversary Year.
Had the joint declaration signed in November 2017 by Pope Francis and
the President of the Lutheran World Federation, Bishop Munib Younan, at
Lund in Sweden, in which both vowed to deepen their efforts to reach
consensus on the intercommunion issue, been a genuine impetus for a
fresh ecumenical start on this still deeply controversial issue or just a
flash in the pan, Koch was asked.
The question of the Eucharist could not be discussed in isolation,
Koch pointed out. “The Catholic Church presupposes full church unity
before Eucharistic unity is possible, whereas the Protestants tend to
see receiving the Lord’s Supper together as a step towards unity. That
is why it is essential to deepen the discussion of the relationship
between the Eucharist and church community,” the cardinal explained
source The tablet