"I am convinced that one of the most important duties of our Churches, today, is the proclamation of the values of the Gospel and of Christian life. The foundation of this belief is the proximity of the positions of the Russian Orthodox Church with those of the Roman Catholic Church, in relation to numerous present-day questions". The Patriarch of Moscow and of the whole Russia, Alexius II, took stock of the current state of the dialogue between the two Churches, in an interview with the French weekly "La Vie", just before his visit to Strasbourg and Paris. The Patriarch is arriving in Strasbourg on Monday, October 1st, and will be welcomed by the Catholic Archbishop of the city, Msgr. Jean-Pierre Grallet. On the following day, the Patriarch is speaking to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. He was invited by President René van der Liden. Then, in the evening, he will be leaving for Paris, where the Patriarch will be welcomed by the Catholic archbishop of the capital, Msgr. André Vingt-Trois, and by the president of the Conference of French bishops, Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard. (To be continued)
