At the heart of Russia

A journey to gain a deeper knowledge of the religious and cultural riches of the Russian tradition: that’s how the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity described the journey that its President, Cardinal Walter Kasper, made in Russia, from 21 to 30 May, at the invitation of His Eminence Kyrill, Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad and head of the Department for External Ecclesiastical Relations of the Patriarchate of Moscow. The journey took the cardinal to various parts of the country. It took him to Kazan, a “place close to my heart”, to venerate the icon of Our Lady of Kazan that he himself, on behalf of the Servant of God, Pope John Paul II, had returned to Russia in 2004. He then made a visit to the monastery of Diveevo near Nizhniy Novgorod, where St. Seraphim of Sarov is venerated: a saint particularly loved by the Russian people. On Thursday 29 May the cardinal was received in Moscow by His Holiness Patriarch Alexei II to whom he handed over a letter and a gift from Pope Benedict XVI. To the Catholic community of Moscow. The division of Christians is “in contradiction” with “the will of Christ, who on the eve of his death, prayed that they may all be one”, said Cardinal Walter Kasper, in his homily during the celebration of the feast of Corpus Domini in the Catholic Cathedral of the Mother of God in Moscow. “The division between Christians and between Churches – added Cardinal Kasper – is in contradiction with the central sacrament and the highest mystery of the Church”. Further recalling the spiritual testament of Christ, that “they may be one” (Jn 17:11), the cardinal asked: “Have we taken this testament of Jesus seriously? Perhaps not completely. Therefore there are good reasons for praying constantly and, in each eucharistic celebration, let us especially pray for the peace and unity of the Church, but not this alone: we must also be active, we do our best to prepare the ways for the re-composition of unity”. To Orthodox youth. On Monday 26 May, the cardinal met the students of the Orthodox University of Saint Tikhon in Moscow. “We have far more things in common than what it is that separates us – said the cardinal – and we are ever more convinced that the signs of the time oblige us to establish a closer collaboration between our Churches”. The cardinal, in his meeting with Orthodox students at the campus, engaged in a cordial question-and-answer session with them. With regard to theological dialogue, the cardinal said: “That theologians and bishops meet together is not in itself enough; it’s more important to unite peoples. The interior mentalities and attitudes of populations are far more difficult to change”. “Unity can be prepared, but it cannot be organized”: it is the gift of the “Holy Spirit” – said the cardinal -; “we can only pray that unity be achieved”. “Unity, however – explained Kasper – must in no way be construed as unification”. The one Church “may be a unity in diversity, or rather a diversity in unity”. With Patriarch Alexei II. The presence of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, the dialogue of the mixed Commission and “the incident of Ravenna”: these – according to the Russian Interfax press agency – were the main issues discussed by Patriarch Alexei II and Cardinal Kasper at their meeting in Moscow. Alexei II expressed “his firm conviction – says a press release put out by the Patriarchate – of the need to develop further the dialogue between the Catholic and Orthodox Church. And the basis of this dialogue is formed by the positions of the two Churches that coincide on many questions of the contemporary world”. For his part, Cardinal Kasper thanked the Patriarch for the meeting and gave him a personal letter from Benedict XVI.