” “The statement issued yesterday by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity to explain the reasons which led to the suppression of the title of "Western Patriarch" in the Pontifical Yearbook did not convince Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria, representing the Russian Orthodox Church at European organizations. "The statement it is written in one of his declarations, made known this morning by the Russian agency, "Interfax" cannot be described as an adequate answer to the worry expressed by the representatives of the Orthodox Church, in relation to the claim by the Pope of Rome to have universal jurisdiction". And Bishop Hilarion added that he is sorry that the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity did not explain "how the abolishment of the title of Western Patriarch can serve the cause of ecumenical dialogue", in the same way as yesterday’s statement "does not make any comments about the other papal titles remained in the official list", which "cannot be accepted under the point of view of Orthodox ecclesiology”. The bishop is relating to the following titles: “Vicar of Jesus Christ; Successor of the Prince of the Apostles; Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church”. The representative of the Russian Orthodox Church had already expressed his opinion about that question through a long note, and he had asked exactly the Vatican Ministry led by Cardinal Walter Kasper for an explanation. Yesterday, the Pontifical Council excluded that the suppression of the title was meant to encourage “new claims” by the Pope. On the contrary, it represents "the renunciation of a claim. And that renunciation might foster ecumenical dialogue".” “
