MOSCOW, October 1 – Novosti. Relations between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches are currently virtually frozen, said Metropolitan Anthony (Sevryuk) of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate.
“Recently, unfortunately, I must say that our relations are practically frozen … At this stage, I must say that some of the comments that we read and hear not only from the lips of the Pope, but for the most part of his assistants, absolutely do not contribute to the preparation of this meeting (Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia – ed.) and our further cooperation,” he said in the program “Church and Peace” on the TV channel “Russia 24” on Saturday.
Earlier, Metropolitan Anthony told Novosti that Patriarch Kirill would not attend the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Kazakhstan in September and would not meet with Pope Francis there. The preparation of a new meeting, the possibility of holding which in Jerusalem the Vatican studied in the spring, according to the metropolitan, was suspended by the Vatican side.
The first meeting of Patriarch Kirill and Pope Francis took place on February 12, 2016 in the building of Havana International Airport . A meeting of this level was the first in the history of the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches .
