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Russian Church still not interested in papal visit
2002-015-2
1/18/2002
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[Episcopal News Service]
Despite public statements by Russian president Vladimir Putin, the Russian Orthodox Church is opposed to a visit by Pope John Paul II until the Roman Catholic Church ceases what the Russians regard as 'expansion' in former Soviet territories.
In an interview during a visit to Poland, Putin said that he expects to host a visit by the pope during his tenure as head of state. 'There are no problems in ties between Russia and the Vatican and I'm ready at any time to invite the pope,' he said. 'But if he's to go to Moscow, he himself wishes the visit to have full value, which means achieving full relations with the Russian Orthodox Church. And this, unfortunately, doesn't depend on me.'
Patriarch Alexy II said, however, that 'as long as the Catholic church continues its expansion in western Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and as long as three of our church's dioceses in western Ukraine remain crushed, a visit by the Roman pope to Russia is impossible.' Relations between the two churches have been strained over complaints of Catholic missionary activity in traditionally Orthodox regions of the former Soviet Union, as well as repossession of churches by Ukraine's Greek Catholic Church, which was outlawed under communism.
Attempts in the last decade to arrange a meeting between the pope and the patriarch have not been successful, largely because Alexy maintains that the disagreements must be settled first.
'I can only help and encourage full relations between the churches--and I can give assurances that I'm hastening in this direction,' Putin said. 'But this is one instance in which less should be said and more should be done, showing tact and patience. We'll see how it will end.'
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