His Holiness the Patriarch meets with the President of Italy

HIS HOLINESS THE PATRIARCH MEETS WITH THE PRESIDENT OF ITAL

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia met with President Carlo Ciampi of Italy on November 28 at his residence at St. Daniel’s monastery.

According to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, Russia is ready to join the European community, but only if she preserves her cultural and historical identity. Sharing fully this point of view, the President of Italy stressed a special significance of Orthodoxy as the faith of a majority of the Russians. Both sides noted that Russia and Italy are tied by Christian roots.

The talk also concerned relations between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Vatican. His Holiness believes that the principal problems that divide the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church have been caused by the violence inflicted by the Greek Catholics on the Orthodox in western Ukraine and proselytism carried out by the Catholics in the canonical territory of the Russian Orthodox Church. “The Orthodox parishes in the western regions of Ukraine have been deprived of their churches. We do not agree with the utterances of prominent Vatican leaders who believe Russia to be a field for the missionary work of the Roman Catholic Church”, stated the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. The President took in the attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church with understanding.

His Holiness Alexy gave President Carlo Ciampi an icon of the Mother of God in memory of their meeting.