Delegations of the Patriarchates of Constantinople and Moscow meet in the Crimea
23.04.2002 · English, Архив 2002
DELEGATIONS OF THE PATRIARCHATES OF CONSTANTINOPLE AND MOSCOW MEET IN THE CRIMEA
A regular meeting of official delegations of the Patriarchates of Constantinople and Moscow took place in the Crimea on 18-20 April 2002. The Patriarchate of Constantinople was represented by Metropolitan Meliton of Philadelphia, General Secretary of the Holy Synod, and by Bishop Vsevolod of Skopelos. The delegation of the Moscow Patriarchate consisted of Metropolitan Agafangel of Odessa and Ismail, a permanent member of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, secretary for Interorthodox relations of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, and S.N.Govorun, a DECR MP staff member.
The participants in the meeting were hosted by Metropolitan Lazar of Sumferopol and the Crimea and by the Ukrainian government, which was represented by V.D.Bondarenko, Chairman of the State Committee of Ukraine on Religious Affairs. Members of the delegations got acquainted with the church life in the Simferopol diocese, visited churches and historical places of interest in the Crimea.
The delegations met in the atmosphere of fraternal love and mutual understanding. They discussed topical problems of the inter-Orthodox relations, including those connected with the activity of schismatic groups, which cause damage to church unity.
Regarding the schisms in the Ukraine, it was noted that the solution of this problem must be based on the holy canons of the Church applied in the spirit of Gospel love.
The participants in the meeting took into account the opinion of the Ukrainian government expressed by V.D.Bondarenko.
The parties agreed to continue consultations for coordinating the actions aimed at the healing of schisms.
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