ECUMENISM
Russia: the visit of Msgr.Mamberti in Moscow Monday March 23rd bishop Mark Egoryevskoye, President of the Dicastery for Religious Affairs of Moscow’s Patriarchate, received in Moscow Msgr. Diminique Mamberti, Vatican Secretary for Relations with the States. The meeting was attended, among others, by the archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, Vice-President of the Dicastery and by Msgr. Antonio Mennini, Apostolic nuncio to the Russian Federation. The Patriarchate reported that during the meeting bishop Mark focused on “the positive aspects of the relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Holy See”. The bishop referred to the Church of Saint Nicholas in Bari that was handed over to the Russian Church past March 2 to the presence of Presidents Medvedev and Napolitano. Vsevolod Chaplin mentioned cooperation opportunities between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Holy See in Europe and within the framework of international organizations such as the OECD, the Council of Europe and the European Union, in the “belief”, he said, that the two Churches “have a large field for action” and in view of “a fruitful cooperation” based on “the common perspective on a number of topical issues”. The communiqué states that during meeting the Church dignitaries also “addressed questions pertaining to the existing difficulties between the two Churches”. The Vatican Secretary’s visit to Russia responds to the invitation by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, with whom he engaged in conversation over a number of international issues. Archbishop Mennini told Russian news agency “Interfax” that both meetings took place in a “friendly and positive atmosphere” and were aimed at “stepping up bilateral relations”. Romania: the Letter of Patriarch Daniel In a pastoral letter sent March 22 to the Romanian Orthodox faithful living in Italy His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, conveyed the solidarity of the Catholic Church for the “indiscriminate accusations” against them. In the statement (issued also in English at www.basilica.ro/en/) the Patriarch shares “the suffering caused by the slandering and accusation of all Romanians in Italy for some evil deeds by only a few of our members of our nation. We are thus seeing how passion-filled and unjust thinking mistakes without discernment the part for its whole and those guilty for those innocent”. In the Letter the Patriarch speaks to the culprits: “we are fatherly asking our Orthodox Christian Romanians, who have committed grave acts, to repent and abandon evil deeds.” Follows a heartfelt appeal for solidarity with the Romanians “who are working in Italy, demonstrating honesty and hard work, dignity and kindness”. In particular mention is made of “all the women, daughters of our Church, who, sometimes, with the price of the neglect of their own families and own parents in Romania, are humbly caring for the children and elderly of Italian families”. The Patriarch includes in his thought “all those all those who, with the price of their sweat, are performing the hardest of jobs, and who, often, are exploited by very low pay, and are even left sometimes without their wages”. While Romanian President Traian Basescu appointed cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, with the award “Star of Romania”. In a message to the cardinal, President Basescu expressed his gratitude for the “expressions of solidarity shown by the Catholic Church to the Romanians living in a diaspora, both Orthodox, Catholics, and Greek-Catholics” and by Italy’s Bishops’ Conference to the numerous Romanian parishes located throughout Italy. On the same tone was the Letter to CEI President Cardinal Bagnasco by the Catholic archbishop of Bucharest who thanked “the Catholic Church in Italy” for the “fraternal reception” it always “granted to Romanian communities by providing churches and sites devoted to their pastoral care”. Northern Ireland: the Churches for the Peace Process During a sermon pronounced during an inter-confessional liturgy held Sunday March 22 in the Methodist Church, Cardinal Sean Brady, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, underlined the role of the Christian Church in the process of reconciliation and peace. In his sermon the Cardinal recalled the three people who were killed by “Real Ira” dissidents a few days ago and underlined “the joint and spontaneous response of prayer on the part of all Churches”. His Eminence equally highlighted “the important contribution that Churches can give in drawing individuals away from violence and guide them upon the paths of peace”.
