His Holiness Patriarch Alexy receives a delegation of Catholic priests and laymen of the Diocese of Camerino San Severino Marke

HIS HOLINESS PATRIARCH ALEXY RECEIVES A DELEGATION OF CATHOLIC PRIESTS AND LAYMEN OF THE DIOCESE OF CAMERINO SAN SEVERINO MARKE

His Holiness Alexy II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, met with a delegation of Catholic priests and laymen, who came to Moscow from the Italian Diocese of Camerino San Severino Marke, on August 22, 2002, at the patriarchal residence in St. Daniel’s Monastery.

From the Russian Orthodox Church the meeting was also attended by Bishop Alexander of Dimitrov, Vicar of the Diocese of Moscow, Archimandrite Alexy (Polikarpov), Father Superior of St. Daniel’s Monastery, Archdeacon Vladimir Nazarkin, DECR Protocol Chief, and DECR staff members Rev. Andrey Eliseev and Igor Vyzhanov.

The group of Italian Catholics on pilgrimage to Russia’s holy places consists of 48 members including 7 priests and is headed by Archbishop Angelo Fagiani of Camerino San Severino Marke.

Welcoming the guests His Holiness Patriarch Alexy said in particular:

“This meeting is especially gratifying as it takes place in the period when the official relations between the Russian Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Churches are regretfully not experiencing the best time. As you know, on February 11, 2002, the Vatican decided to establish Catholic dioceses united in a “church province” in Russia, what has heavily aggravated bilateral church relations. We regard this move as a non-fraternal and non-friendly one, the real goal of which is to expand Catholic missionary work in Russia. Such a policy of the official Vatican does not confine itself to Russia but extends also to Ukraine where the overwhelming majority of the faithful belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. On May 4, 2002, Rome decided to establish two new Catholic dioceses in Ukraine – the Diocese of Odessa and Simferopol and that of Kharkov and Zaporozhye. Catholic episcopal sees have appeared in the regions where they have never existed and the number of local Catholics has been very small.

Our Church cannot regard the above mentioned Vatican’s actions as a purely internal affair of the Catholic Church. We have evidences of growing proselytic activity by Catholic missionaries among traditionally Orthodox people in Russia and others CIS countries. The most outrageous forms of proselytism is the missionary “work” among children and conversion to Catholicism of orphans many of whom were baptized in Orthodoxy. We should make joined efforts to really overcome all our problems, first of all proselytism. In spite of the difficulties in Catholic-Orthodox relations, we continue to maintain good relations with some Roman Catholic dioceses, monasteries, parishes and educational institutions. I hope this meeting will also help to develop constructive inter-Church dialogue.”

Archbishop Angelo Fagiani, leader of the Italian delegation, made a speech in response.

For memory of the visit, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church gave the guests Orthodox folded icons of Our Lady of Vladimir and of the Resurrection of Christ.