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Metropolitan Kirill attends conference on Topicality of Father Paul Florensky’s Thinking

6.12.2007 · Архив 2005-2009, События  

An international conference on the Topicality of Father Paul Florensky’s Thinking was opened on December 5, 2007, in Venice. It is attended by Russian and Italian scholars studying the creative work of this outstanding theologian who made an essential influence on the development of religious and philosophical thinking not only in Russia but also far beyond it.

Before the beginning of the conference, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, met with Venice Mayor Prof. Massimo Cacciari to thank him for the invitation to visit the city and for the hospitality.

The conference was opened at Doges Palace with speeches of welcome by Mr. Cacciari and Mgr. Orlando Barbaro, vicar of the Patriarch of Venice. Introductory speeches were made by Metropolitan Kirill and Metropolitan Gennadios of Italy and the Southern Europe (Patriarchate of Constantinople).

Metropolitan Kirill spoke of the profound symbolism of the fact that the conference devoted to Father Paul Florensky was held precisely in Venice, which is notably different from other European cities. Venice is unique in that its image combines East and West not contrasting but co-existing in a beautiful harmony.

His introductory paper was on Father Paul Florensky’ Influence on the Religious Revival in Post-Soviet Space.

After the conference Prof. Cacciari took Metropolitan Kirill on a tour of Doges Palace, which keeps in its halls invaluable masterpieces of European art.

Metropolitan Kirill also met with the Patriarch Angelo Scola of Venice and Archbishop Pietro Brollo of Udine. Among other things, they discussed problems involved in the work of the Moscow Patriarchate’s parish in Venice.

DECR Communication Service