Meeting of the working group on the problems in Orthodox-Catholic relations held in Moscow

On 28 December 2005, a regular meeting of the joint working group on the problems in relations between the Russian Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Churches was held in the Pilgrims Centre of the Moscow Patriarchate. General secretary of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Russia Rev. Igor Kovalevsky and deputy chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin are co-chairmen of the group.

Members of the group considered some complicated situation in the regions and visited St.John Bosco orphanage in Fili district of Moscow and talked with its leaders and tutors.

The participants agreed that children baptized as Orthodox and with Orthodox background who are raised in Catholic orphanages should attend Orthodox divine services and get Orthodox education and edification. The Orthodox side expressed its willingness to promote the process.

The participants agreed to improve exchange of information and to present common positions of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches on topical problems to society, including defense of Christian moral values as they are diluted and flouted.

Members of the group expressed their hope for the soonest settlement of the problems in relations between the Catholics and the Orthodox and for the improvement of mutual understanding and cooperation.