At close range

The Polish episcopacy, gathered in Warsaw March 8-9 for the 351st plenary meeting of the Bishops’ Conference (KEP), approved with unanimous vote the new proposals for rapprochement with the Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow. “The establishment of a mixed group to address the aspects of dialogue in the framework of the cultural changes of contemporary Europe was received with hope”, state the bishops in the final statement. “For Catholics – continues the document – the space of theological dialogue (with the Orthodox) is established in Church documents. Its concrete implementation however includes a number of challenges that should be the object of in-depth dialogue”. The document underlines that “both Churches, which in the past underwent painful persecutions and sufferings, are now tasked with the promotion of the respect of human dignity, of freedom and of human rights”. The short statement of KEP President Jozef Michalik highlights the delicate aspect of the subject as relates to the development of a joint paper: “Our efforts must tend towards preventing further suffering. Indeed, efforts should focus on bringing our Churches closer, and this requires time and prayer”. The proposal of a joint paper. The possibility of drawing up a joint paper signed by the representatives of both Churches was envisaged at the end of February ensuing the visit to Warsaw of a delegation of Moscow’s patriarchate and after the encounters with KEP general secretary Msgr. Stanislaw Budzik, with the president of the Council for Ecumenism Msgr. Tadeusz Pikus, and with the primate of Poland Msgr. Henryk Muszynski. That meeting “was the first step on the path of mutual understanding, knowledge and rapprochement of our two Churches and peoples, in the spirit of reconciliation”, said Msgr. Henryk Muszynski, who also values the fact that “both the Catholic Church in Poland and the Catholic Church in Russia are majority Churches in their respective Countries, and therefore we have special obligations towards society”. A month before the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the massacre of 22 thousand Polish officials in Katyn by Stalin’s security services, Msgr. Muszynski remarked that even though the two peoples “are not enemies, yet old-dated unsolved questions linger on”. “We ought to pursue the path of reconciliation that Jesus entrusted us”, remarks the archbishop of Gniezno, in the awareness that “although the actions of the two Churches must be independent of the work of political authorities”, the service of reconciliation “which has not only a sacramental but also a communal dimension, involves society and the relations between the respective populations as a whole”. Both Churches draw inspiration from the Ravenna document drawn up in 2007, and notably, “there have never been divisions over the most important faith questions”, recalls Msgr. Muszynski, who stresses that the Polish and Russian peoples have been “Christian faithful for over one thousand years”.Preserving Christian values in Europe. The Orthodox delegation – guided not by the head of the Department for foreign relations of the Patriarch of Moscow but by his deputy, the hegumenos Filip Riabik and by Rev. Sergej Zvonariov, Secretary for Foreign Affairs – during the visit to Poland pointed out that the dialogue initiative with the Polish Church is the personal proposal of Patriarch Kiril since “the Catholic Church in Poland offers a spiritual service to the neighbouring nation and to the populations assisted by our Patriarchate”. Notwithstanding the aftermath of a tormented common history and the ongoing difficulties, the hegumenos Riabik underscored the importance “of those elements that bring the Churches closer”, notably the defence of Christian moral values and rules within the European environment. The meeting between the representatives of the two Churches, said Msgr. Riabik, is meant to address “not only complex issues”, but also “to explore cooperation opportunities for the good of our peoples”. Moreover, “the Church is tasked with bringing Christ to the people so they may live in compliance with His teachings, and good neighbourhood relations represents the accomplishment of God’s commandment on the love for our fellow other”. Within the framework of a meeting with the Polish Ecumenical council in Warsaw, Hegumenos Riabik gave a positive appraisal of the work of the mixed Orthodox-Catholic Committee in Russia, and of the cooperation in the advisory board chaired by Msgr. Hilarion, representing the Orthodox Church, and Msgr. Paolo Pezzi representing the Catholic Church of the metropolitan bishop of Moscow. During the meeting the dignitaries discussed the joint commemoration of the victims of Stalinist rule “that included Orthodox, Catholics, Protestants, believers and non-believers, regardless of their nationalities”, since as the Orthodox Church representative said: “today the memory of the victims urges us to preserve Christian values in Europe”.