METROPOLITAN KIRILL: “I BELIEVE IN THE UNITY OF THE RUSSIAN CHURCH AND IN THE UNITY OF THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE”. Chairman of the DECR MP made comments on the results of the conversations between the Authorities of the Moscow Patriarchate with the delegation of the Russian Church Outside of Russia
21.11.2003 · English, Архив 2003
METROPOLITAN KIRILL: “I BELIEVE IN THE UNITY OF THE RUSSIAN CHURCH AND IN THE UNITY OF THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE”
Chairman of the DECR MP made comments on the results of the conversations between the Authorities of the Moscow Patriarchate with the delegation of the Russian Church Outside of Russia
On November 19 Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate gave an interview to Vladimir Solovyev, a correspondent of the ‘Vremya’ (Time) programme and made his comments on the results of the conversations between the Authorities of the Moscow Patriarchate and the delegation of the Russian Church Outside of Russia.
Metropolitan Kirill said in particular that the canonical decision on the unification of the two parts of the Russian Church will be taken at the Councils of Bishops of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Church Outside of Russia.
Q. Vladyka, official contacts between representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Church Outside of Russia took place for the first time. The meeting lasted several days. Have you managed to blunt contradictions?
A. There are no rational reasons for divisions and contradictions. Yet, there is a psychology of division, and a habit of living apart formed during long years. These divisions are rooted in the tragedy of the revolution and Civil War. Today we must do anything to overcome this tendency. We have started the process, which – I believe – will certainly bring about the surmounting of differences, because, as I said, there are not and cannot be fundamental differences in our philosophy of life. Now we have understood it very clearly. I believe in the unity of the Russian Church and along with it – in the unity of the Russian people.
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