VATICAN, December 4. /TASS/. Relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church are becoming closer and more brotherly, with mutual respect for each other’s traditions, Vatican Secretary for Relations with States Paul Richard Gallagher told TASS in an interview.
According to the official, the historic 2016 meeting of Pope Francis and Patriach Kirill of Moscow in Havana provided an important impetus to the development of these relations.
"As the Pope himself likes to say, this step is not a separate isolated event, but gives start for established of better mutual understanding and more saturated cooperation," Gallagher said.
He noted that Vatican regularly holds regular meeting with Metropolitan bishop Hilarion, chairman of the external church relations department of the Moscow patriarchy, adding that representatives of the two churches hold meetings on permanent basis and carry out joint initiative of cultural, academic and social nature.
"All this gives hope that we walk down the right path towards fraternal convergence with mutual respect of traditions," the hierarch said.