DECR vice-chairman meets with General Secretary of Spanish Bishops’ Conference
August 2, 2013 – Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), vice-chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, met with Auxiliary Bishop of Madrid Juan Antonio Martinez, general secretary of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference, who is in Moscow on a private visit.
Archimandrite Filaret introduced his guest, who had never been to Moscow before, to the history of the St. Daniel Monastery and the Department for External Church Relations. He expressed satisfaction at the positive development of relations between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Roman Catholic Church both on the highest level and on the level of individual countries and dioceses. As an example he cited the fruitful cooperation between structures of the Catholic Church and parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate.
The sides agreed that in a situation of aggressive secularism in European countries, cooperation between Orthodox Christians and Catholics in defending traditional Christian values and bearing common witness to Christ before the modern world acquires a special importance. The experience of the 20th new martyrs is of great importance both for the Russian Church and the Catholic Church is Spain.
DECR Communication Service