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Published by
Zenit.org,
September 13, 2004
Status of the Orthodox-Catholic
Group in Russia
Interview With
Father Igor Kowalewskj
MOSCOW, SEPT. 13, 2004 (Zenit.org).-
Last February, Cardinal Walter Kasper, president
of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian
Unity, and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II
created a "working group" to study the differences
the two Churches have in Russia.
In this interview, Father Igor Kowalewskj,
Catholic spokesman of the working group, explains
how this work is carried out.
Q: How has the first phase of the Commission's
work developed?
Father Kowalewskj: At the request of the Orthodox
Patriarchate of Moscow, we have examined some
cases that might be interpreted as proselytism.
Analyzing these cases, we are trying to elaborate
a code of conduct for the two Churches.
The Russian Orthodox Church already knows that
neither the Vatican nor Russian Catholic bishops
have a strategy of proselytism. Metropolitan
Kirill of Smolensk, responsible for the
patriarchate's international relations, said so
during his visit to Poland in April.
There are cases, however, which for lack of
information might be interpreted as proselytism.
Our working group is studying these cases to
improve relations between the two Churches. The
first meeting of the working group, here in
Moscow, took place from May 5-7; the next will be
held in the second half of September.
Q: Who makes up this working group?
Father Kowalewskj: On the Catholic side is, also,
Father Joseph Maj, member of the Pontifical
Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and
Jean-Franηois Thiry, director of the Bibliotheque
de l'Esprit Cultural Center in Moscow.
Representing the Orthodox is Archpriest Vsevelod
Chaplin, vice president of the Foreign Affairs
Department of the Moscow Patriarchate; Father Igor
Vyzhanov, responsible for relations with the
Catholic Church; and Father Ivan Lapidus.
Q: What are your expectations and hopes for the
next meeting?
Father Kowalewskj: The atmosphere of the first
meeting was very friendly and we hope that with
these meetings relations between are Churches will
improve, both at the informal as well as the
formal level.
Q: Orthodox Father Igor Vyzhanov has spoken about
the spirit of work of this commission, saying that
it is a first, very important, concrete step to
improve relations. What is your opinion?
Father Kowalewskj: I totally share Father
Vyzhanov's hopes, but it is also very important
that we study concrete cases to elaborate a code
of conduct for the faithful of the Catholic
Church.
I hope that this policy of generic accusations on
the invasion of canonical territories or on
proselytism will be put to one side and that we,
here, as religious minority, will be able to
confess our faith and collaborate with the
Orthodox Church.
We have things to learn from the Orthodox Church
and the Orthodox Church has things to learn from
us Catholics. I myself have very good relations
with Father Vyzhanov at the informal level; at the
formal level they are somewhat colder.
Q: In your opinion, what is the role of the
Catholic Church here, in Russia, if it cannot be
very active in the field of evangelization?
Father Kowalewskj: The Catholic Church has always
been a minority Church and it will continue to be
so. This is why we wish to have opportunities to
confess our faith in a normal manner, as in any
other country.
Living here, in the midst of the Russian Orthodox
Church, the Catholic Church has always been able
to make a specific contribution to Russian
culture, especially in charitable and educational
activities. This is the specificity of the
presence of the Catholic Church in Russia. We can
share many things with the Orthodox Church.
Q: How many Catholics and priests are there in
Russia?
Father Kowalewskj: In the whole Russian Federation
there are 250 parishes and some 300 priests, the
majority of whom are in the Archdiocese of the
Mother of God in Moscow, given that most of the
Russian population is here, in Moscow, and that
most Catholics also live here.
It is very difficult to establish the number of
Catholics who live in Russia, as we don't know all
of them and not all of them go to Mass. But I
don't think that there are more than 600,000
Catholics in the whole Russian territory. We are
really a minority. All together, the Protestant
communities are more numerous than the Catholic.
It would be absurd and even paranoid to think that
we Catholics can convert Russia to Catholicism.
There is no strategy for Russia's conversion. And
even if we wanted to, we would never be able to do
such a work.
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