Metropolitan Kirill comments on the Vatican's controversial document on ecclesiology.
The following brief report contains a rather favorable Russian Orthodox reaction to the Holy See's document on the Church, published July 10. The report comes from the Russian news agency Interfax, which has close links to the Russian Orthodox Patriarchate of Moscow. The man quoted, Metropolitan Kirill, whom we have come to know over the past few years during meetings in Moscow, Vienna and Rome (and who has granted interviews in the past to Inside the Vatican), is the equivalent of the "foreign minister" of the Russian Orthodox Church, although that term would be inappropriate to use in regard to a Church official.
Kirill's work of representing the Patriarchate in various forums around the world has made him one of the most visible of the Russian Orthodox Church's leaders, and one of the most authoritative and influential. –The Editor
Vatican's "honest" position furthers dialogue, says Metropolitan Kirill
Moscow, July 11, Interfax – The Russian Orthodox Church has called "honest" the position of the Vatican published in a document of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith stating that the Catholic Church is the only Church approved by Christ.
"It is an honest statement. It is much better than the so-called 'church diplomacy'." It shows how close or, on the contrary, how divided we are," Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, who heads the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, told journalists in Moscow.
"For an honest theological dialogue to happen, one should have a clear view of the position of the other side," because "it helps understand how different we are," he said. Basically, the Vatican's current document has nothing new and is in "full conformity with the doctrine of the Catholic Church," Metropolitan Kirill said.
"The Orthodox Church is, according to Apostolic Succession, successor and heir to the old, undivided Church. Which is why everything contained in the Catholic document rightfully applies to the Orthodox Church," the Metropolitan added.
