A Russian Orthodox Church dedicated to the protomartyr Saint Catherine, venerated by Catholics and Orthodox alike, was consecrated in Rome on Friday, 31 March. The solemn ceremony of inauguration was officiated by Bishop Mark of Yegoryevsk, vice-president of the Department of External Relations of the Patriarchate of Moscow, in the presence of the Russian ambassador in Italy Aleksey Meshkov. Addressing the congregation, the bishop described the event as “historic”: “the new Russian church is situated close to St. Peter’s basilica and this symbolises the common witness of the Orthodox and Catholic churches to the challenges of our time: our Churches, through their places of worship, are testimonies to the eternal values of Christianity”. A Conference on “Church and secularism in modern society from the Orthodox and Catholic perspectives” coincided with the ceremony. The meeting was held in Rome in the framework of the process of dialogue launched at the level of civil society and was attended by representatives both of the Holy See and the Patriarchate, as well as exponents of Russian and Italian culture. The Catholic Church was represented by Cardinal Achille Sylvestrini and Monsignor Giampaolo Crepaldi, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
