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On June 17, 2011, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia received in audience the new Apostolic Nuncio in the Russian Federation, Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic, at his working residence in Chisty Pereulok, Moscow. Participating in the meeting were also Hegumen Philaret Bulekov, vice-chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, and Rev. Dimitry Sizonenko, DECR acting secretary for inter-Christian relations. The high guest was accompanied by Mgr Visvaldas Kulbokas, first secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature in the Russian Federation.

Welcoming Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic, Patriarch Kirill said he kept good memories of and gave a high value to the archbishop’s contribution to the settlement of inter-confessional relations in the 1990s in Moscow and later in Ukraine. He also wished his guest successful tenure in Moscow as apostolic nuncio.

Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic in his turn conveyed greetings from the Primate of the Roman Catholic Church. Remembering the years of his service in Moscow as secretary of the Holy See representation in the period from 1992-1996, he noted in particular, ‘I am coming back to Moscow in the knowledge that I am coming back to a country which appears quite different today. I thank God that His Providence has brought me here in a new context of inter-confessional relations, at a new stage in the development of Orthodox-Catholic relations in Russia’.

During their talk, the both sides expressed satisfaction at the constructive development of inter-confessional relations and expressed hope for successful cooperation between the two Churches in the face of challenges brought about by the modern world.

DECR Communication Service