“Frère Roger had opened a path of close and trustful relations with the Orthodox Church and we would like to follow in his footsteps”, said his successor, frère Alois, head of the Taizé Community, in explaining the significance of his recent journey to Moscow to express to the Patriarch of Moscow, Alexis II, the Community’s desire to pursue the process begun by frère Roger. The Russian Orthodox Church, explains frère Alois, occupied “a special place in his heart. He had infinite respect for it, due to the trials and tribulations it had gone through, and constantly recalled the countless Orthodox Christians who had given proof of exemplary love and forgiveness”. The Taizé leader was “warmly” welcomed both by Patriarch Alexis II and by Metropolitan Kirill, head of the Department of Foreign Relations of the Patriarchate of Moscow. The Patriarch – adds the press release of the Taizé Community – underlined the good relations that existed between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Taizé Community and recalled that he himself had visited Taizé and had met frère Roger on several occasions. Frère Alois has also met Pope Benedict XVI, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I and the World Council of Churches at its recent assembly at Porto Alegre, in Brazil. “In this search for communion – adds frère Alois – we increasingly discover the treasures that the different traditions have preserved through the centuries, At Taizé we would like to contribute to a real exchange of gifts between the great Christian traditions”.
