The statement issued by the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity on 22 March to explain the reasons that led to the suppression of the title “Patriarch of the West” in the Pontifical Yearbook ( Annuario Pontificio ) has failed to convince Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria, representative of the Russian Orthodox Church to the European organizations. “The communiqué – says a statement of the bishop issued by the Russian press agency “Interfax” – cannot be described as an adequate response to the concerns expressed by the representatives of the Orthodox Church with regard to any claim by the Pope of Rome to universal jurisdiction over the Church”. It is regrettable – Bishop Hilarion continues – that the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity has failed to explain “how the abandonment of the title of Patriarch of the West may be beneficial to ecumenical dialogue”. Hilarion also deplores the fact that yesterday’s communiqué “makes no comment on the other papal titles that remain in the official list”, and that are “unacceptable from the viewpoint of Orthodox ecclesiology”. He refers in particular to the titles: “Vicar of Jesus Christ, successor of the prince of the apostles, and supreme pontiff of the universal Church”. The representative of the Russian Orthodox Church had already commented on the question and had asked the Vatican office led by Cardinal Walter Kasper for clarification. The Pontifical Council had replied to the invitation with a lengthy statement in which the Holy See rejected any idea that the suppression of the title was aimed at “new claims” on the part of the Pope. On the contrary, it represents “the renunciation of a claim, a renunciation that could be to the benefit of ecumenical dialogue”.
