Chairman of the European Commission Romano Prodi sent a letter to Metropolitan Kirill
14.06.2002 · English, Архив 2002
CHAIRMAN OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION ROMANO PRODI SENT A LETTER TO METROPOLITAN KIRILL
In May 2002 Mr. Romano Prodi, Chairman of the European Commission, which is the supreme executive agency of the European Union, sent a letter to Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. In this letter, written in the Russian language, Mr. Prodi shared his thoughts about the reaction of the Moscow Patriarchate to the White Paper on European Governance.
Mr.Prodi underlined that the integration was a project for all European countries and its tasks look as follows. Europe is a continent, where many national entities live, each with characteristic features, language and culture of its own. All these elements interact, and our important task is to struggle for these elements not to loose their characteristic features, but rather be further developed.
Therefore the cooperation with the organizations which shape cultural traditions of this or that country becomes important. Expressed in the letter was readiness to cooperate with the Russian Orthodox Church in shaping spiritual foundations of the European Union and civilization dialogue. Mr.Prodi wrote that he considered as necessary the cultural and spiritual contribution of the Russian Orthodox Church, which is solidly rooted in many regions of Europe and neighboring countries. This contribution could be a precious one.
In the end of his letter the Chairman of the European Commission expressed his wish to develop closer contacts between the European Union and the Russian Orthodox Church. Full text of Mr.Prodi’s letter was published in ‘Il Regno’ newspaper.
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