Delegations of the Russian and Romanian Orthodox Churches meet in Kishinev

DELEGATIONS OF THE RUSSIAN AND ROMANIAN ORTHODOX CHURCHES MEET IN KISHINEV

On 15 January 1999, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, accompanied by Archpriest Victor Petliuchenko, DECR vice-chairman, and Archimandrite Elesey Ganaba, DECR secretary for inter-Orthodox relations, left Moscow for Kishinev for the negotiations to be held with the delegation of the Romanian Patriarchate on the problems of its jurisdiction on the territory of the Republic of Moldova in accordance with the agreement reached between the Primates of the Russia and Romanian Orthodox Churches. At the Kishinev airport Metropolitan Kirill was met by the hierarchs of the Orthodox Church in Moldova headed by Metropolitan Vladimir of Kishinev and all Moldova, by representatives of the government of the Republic of Moldova headed by the state secretary Nikolay Chernomaz, and by Ambassador A.V.Papkin of Russia in Moldova. Metropolitan Kirill was granted an audience by the President of Moldova Petr Luchinky. The church situation in Moldova was thoroughly discussed. The President welcomed the guests and showed them the rooms for negotiations. A festive dinner was given in the Palace of the Republic on his behalf.

In the result of the conversations the delegations of the two Churches signed the following communique:

‘On January 15, a meeting between representatives of the Moscow and Romanian Patriarchates to regulate the church situation in Moldova was held in the Palace of the Republic in Kishinev. The Moscow Patriarchate was represented by Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, – head of the delegation; Metropolitan Vladimir of Kishinev and all Moldova, and Mr.Georgy Armashu. The Romanian Patriarchate was represented by the Most Rev.Daniel, Archbishop of Jassy and Metropolitan of Moldova and Bukovina, – head of the delegation, Metropolitan Nestor of Oltenia, and Mr.Vlad Kubriakov, a member of the National Church Assembly of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

While highly appreciating the fact of the two delegations meeting in Kishinev which allowed negotiations between the Moscow and Romanian Patriarchates for the first time in the presence and with participation of the Orthodox from Moldova, the sides agreed on the necessity to continue consultations of such kind in order to agree upon a mutually acceptable model of resolving canonical problems of the situation of Orthodoxy on the territory of the Republic of Moldova in the nearest future.

During the discussion both sides shared their understanding and vision of the difficult church situation in Moldova and underlined the necessity to go from confrontation and enmity to reconciliation and cooperation.

The heads of the two delegations in consultation with each other will present to their Churches the mutually acceptable ways and means to resolve the problems which remain on the agenda in the relations between the two Church concerning the situation of His Grace Petr Peduraru.