Archbishop Hilarion meeting with German Ambassador in Russia

Archbishop Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, met on 22 September 2009 at the department, with the German Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in Russia, Dr. Walter Jьrgen Schmid. Participating in the meeting were also Rev. Sergiy Zvonarev, DECR acting secretary for the far abroad, and Mr. Olaf Malchov, second secretary of the German Embassy.

The DECR chairman shared with Dr. Schmid the results of his visit to Rome. In view of this event, the sides discussed the Orthodox-Catholic relations including the situation with regard to the Uniate parishes in western Ukraine.

They also dealt with problems involved in the dialogue between the Moscow Patriarchate and Protestant Churches in Germany and presented their own visions of some postulates of respective religious ethics.

Another theme of the talk concerned church-state relations in Russia and the social service of the Russian Orthodox Church within the country.

In addition, the sides expressed their views on the difficult church situation in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

In conclusion of the meeting, His Eminence Hilarion presented the German Ambassador with records of his musical compositions.

 

 

DECR Communication Service