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September 26, 2017 – The Joint Working Group for cultural cooperation between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Holy See met for a regular meeting at the building of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in Rome.

Participating in the meeting from the Russian Orthodox Church were Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Bishop Tikhon of Yegoryevsk, head of the Patriarchal Council for Culture; Bishop Matfey of Bogorodsk, administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate parishes in Italy; Hieromonk Ioann (Kopeikin), pro-rector for training, Ss Cyril and Methodius Institute of Post-Graduate Studies (CMI); Hieromonk Stephan (Igumnov), DECR secretary for inter-Christian relations; Hieromonk Ambrose (Matsegor), secretary of the administration of the Moscow Patriarchate parishes in Italy; and Rev. Alexiy Dikarev, DECR.

The Holy See was represented by Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Msgr. Pasquale Iacobone of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Msgr Bernard Munono Muembe, Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development; Rev. Aleixandre Awi Mello, secretary of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life; Father Carlo Kasalone, Pontifical Academy for Life; Rev. Hyacinthe  Destivelle, Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unite; and Dr. Gianpaolo Rigotti, Congregation for the Oriental Churches.

Participants noted the results of the projects implemented after the previous meeting of the Joint Working Group in March in Moscow, in particular the Summer Institute for Catholic clergy and students under the Ss Cyril and Methodius Institute of Post-Graduate Studies (CMI), which was held with success from August 25 to September 4.

The group also discussed and outlined several new projects in the sphere of culture to be implemented in 2017 and 2018.

DECR Communication Service