Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad Continues His Visit to Berlin
21.02.2005 · English, Архив 2005
Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad opened a working part of his visit to Berlin on 21 February 2005.
The first meeting with G. Erler, Deputy Chairman of the Faction of the Social Democratic Party of the FRG and Chairman of the German-Russian Group of Parliamentarians, was held in Bundestag. In course of the conversation Metropolitan Kirill pointed to the importance of the existing relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and Christian Churches of Germany for strengthening bonds of friendship between peoples of the two countries.
Metropolitan Kirill, in particular, said that the Russian Church is interested in discussing values, which exist in the relations between the Western and Eastern Europe, and political and social events happening in the both parts of the continent. Mr. Erler supported this position and expressed confidence in important positive role of the German-Russian dialogue.
On the same day an official supper in honor of the Metropolitan’s visit to Berlin took place in the building of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
V. Staudacher, Secretary General of the Foundation, greeted His Eminence Metropolitan Kirill. Among those invited were political and public figures of Germany, Archbishop Feofan of Berlin and Germany, Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria, Representative of the Moscow Patriarchate to the European Institutions, and Y.Riabykh, Assistant of the DECR MP Chairman. Relations between the Church and State, between the Church and Society in Russia and in Germany were discussed during the supper.
On the same day delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church met with Russian Ambassador V.Kotenev and staff-members of the Russian Diplomatic Representation in the Embassy of Russia. Participants of the meeting exchanged their opinions on the situation of the Russian-speaking compatriots in Germany, on public and political situation in Germany and in the European Union. In the evening Metropolitan Kirill spoke with the deputies of the Bundestag and answered their numerous questions.
Abstracts from Metropolitan Kirill’s speech are to be published later.
See also: