MOSCOW, March 13. /TASS/. Relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church "are more or less successfully passing the test" presented by the current challenging geopolitical environment, Moscow Patriarchate Spokesman Hieromonk Stephan (Igumnov) told TASS in remarks in connection with the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis’ ascension to the pontificate.
"Our relations are seriously tested from time to time due to external circumstances, but one can say that as of today they are more or less successfully passing the test. The potential for cooperation between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Holy See remains, based on the fundamental component of such cooperation, which lies in the fact that the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church constitute the largest Christian communities in the world," Hieromonk Stephan said.
Both churches cannot but be mindful of their responsibility for the future of Christian civilization and it is precisely this factor that inspires the Russian Orthodox Church to do everything it can to support bilateral relations, the spokesman said. The more so that the positions of both churches coincide on an entire range of issues, he noted.
"At the same time, this does not preclude disagreements on certain topics and issues that require discussion, including in the current challenging geopolitical environment," Hieromonk Stephan said. The level of interaction between the two churches reached earlier during the papacy of Pope Francis has made it possible to keep lines of communication open and, thus, retain the potential for such discussions.
"Direct communications between the hierarchs of the two churches and the importance that both Patriarch Kirill and Pope Francis have attached to such ties represent a critical point in the architecture of bilateral ties, especially our current ties," the senior clergyman said.