” ” From today to Friday 31st August, the four bishops of Friuli-Venezia Giulia (Brollo, Poletto, De Antoni, Ravignani) will be hosted in Moscow by the Patriarch Alexius II for the celebrations of the Orthodox feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Virgin and will invite the highest representative of the Russian Orthodox Church to Aquileia "to learn about the roots of our faith". For the time being, it remains a «dream», but, if it came true, a visit by the Patriarch Alexius II to Italy would have great ecumenical relevance.” “This «channel» between the Catholic Church and the Patriarchate of Moscow was opened also spurred by card. Kasper, president of the Papal Council for the Unity of the Christians by the archdiocese of Udine, through visits of high-rank delegations of the Patriarchate to Friuli, reciprocated by mgr. Brollo’s trip to Moscow. Initiatives that also included the gift of two mosaics by the Mosaic-making School of Spilimbergo, which have been placed in the lower church of Christ the Saviour in Moscow.” “The bishops, as well as meeting the Patriarch today, will attend two celebrations in the new Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and in the ancient church of the Assumption. Finally, they will visit the «Serghiev Posad» monastery in Zagorsk, one of the greatest spiritual centres of Russian Orthodoxy.
