The Most Rev. Vincenzo Paglia, Bishop of Terni, chairman of the Commission for ecumenism and dialogue of the Italian Bishops’ Conference and co-chairman of the organizing Committee for Sibiu 2007, has been honoured with the decoration of the “3rd centenary of St. Danilo prince of Moscow”. The decoration was handed over to the bishop by Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow in person for the “commitment and contribution given by Bishop Paglia to the development of dialogue between the Russian Orthodox and Catholic Churches”. In bestowing the award, the Patriarch used words of détente and openness, emphasizing “the efforts made to stabilise good relations between the two Churches and develop Catholic-Orthodox dialogue”. “I am convinced – he added – that our meeting sets an example of cooperation between the Catholic and Orthodox worlds, aimed at reaching common positions also on the spiritual foundations of social life, on the reinforcement of Christian ethics and on the protection of the values of the family”.
