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On 12 November 2013, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk met with Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. They were joined in the meeting by Monsignor Andrea Palmieri, sub-secretary of the Council; Rev. Jacinth Destivelle, archimandrite Antony (Sevryuk), Rev. Alexei Dikarev; and hieromonk Ioann (Kopeikin), assistant to the DECR chairman.

Discussed was the present state of relations between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. Attention was paid to the difficulties which the Orthodox-Catholic dialogue is facing.

Metropolitan Hilarion informed Cardinal Koch of the important events in the dialogue which the Moscow Patriarchate maintains with certain Catholic Episcopal Conferences. He mentioned the 8th theological talks between the Russian Orthodox Church and the German Episcopal Conference held in October 2013 in Magdeburg, the conference in Warsaw that will take place in November on the role of Churches in reconciliation of the Russian and Polish people, and an Orthodox-Catholic forum “What does it mean to be a Christian in the contemporary world?’ due to be held in Minsk next year.

Cardinal Koch shared with Metropolitan Hilarion his impressions of the visit to Ukraine last June. Opinions were exchanged on the relations between the Orthodox and the Catholics in the country.

Also discussed was the programme of Cardinal Koch’s visit to Russia next December.