Home page News
Conference ‘The Future of Christianity in Eur…

Conference ‘The Future of Christianity in Europe. The Roles of Churches and Peoples of Poland and Russia’ completes its work in Warsaw

On 30 November 2013, the Russian-Polish Conference, ‘The Future of Christianity in Europe. The Roles of Churches and Peoples of Poland and Russia,’ completed its work at the Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw.

Prior to the final session, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, and the retired Archbishop Henryk Muszyński, former Metropolitan of Gniezno and the Primate of Poland, were honoured with the award ‘For Merits in Promoting Tolerance-2013’, which the Tolerance Foundation gives to people who promote cooperation among people of different faiths on the basis of equality.

Metropolitan Hilarion noted that he considered this award as recognition of the efforts taken for reconciliation between the peoples of Poland and Russia and the development of mutual understanding between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church in Poland. ‘In our work we are inspired by the example of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and Archbishop Józef Michalik, President of the Polish Episcopal Conference, who signed a historic message to the peoples of Poland and Russia in 2012. Our meeting today is devoted to the deliberations on the words of this message and on the ways of the implementation of its appeal.

The final session called ‘Russia-Poland. Orthodoxy-Catholicism. The Future’ was chaired by Metropolitan Hilarion and Bishop Wojciech Polak, general secretary of the Polish Episcopal Conference.

The DECR chairman said in his address to the participants: ‘We have much in common in our history, in our situation at present and in our vision of the future. I believe that we should meet to discuss concrete problems, including the presence of Christian symbols in public space of European countries and the protection of Christian traditional values. We can tell many things to the secular world in order to help people find a right way and live in keeping with Christian moral teaching.’

Among the areas of cooperation Metropolitan Hilarion mentioned education, cultural exchange, pilgrimage, charity and social ministry.

Answering the question of a venue and time of a meeting of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia with the Pope of Rome, Metropolitan Hilarion remarked that at present it is hard to say when this meeting may become possible. He added: ‘We always say that this meeting should be thoroughly prepared as it will be a historic one because the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the Pope of Rome never met. This meeting should open a new page in relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Church of Rome.’ Metropolitan Hilarion mentioned the situation of Christians in the Middle East as a main topic of a possible meeting.

That same day in the evening, members of the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church who took part in the Conference with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia attended Vespers at the Catholic Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Warsaw.

After the service, which was celebrated by Archbishop of Warsaw Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz, Metropolitan Hilarion read out the final document of the Conference.

Share:
Αγιώτατος Πατριάρχης Κύριλλος: Η παραβίαση των δικαιωμάτων των πιστών της Ουκρανικής Ορθοδόξου Εκκλησίας αναγνωρίζεται στους απολογισμούς των διεθνών οργανισμών προστασίας ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων.

20.12.2024

Phone conversation took place between His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and His Beatitude Patriarch John of Antioch

12.12.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill expressed sympathy and full support to the Primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Church

12.12.2024

The Primate of the Russian Church is fervently praying for the Patriarch, bishops, clergy, and flock of the Antiochian Church

12.12.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with the Chairman of the Senate of the Republic of Kazakhstan

22.11.2024

Phone conversation took place between the Primates of Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches

17.11.2024

Telephone conversation held between His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and the Primate of the Malankara Church of India

01.11.2024

Address by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill at the VIII World Congress of Compatriots Living Abroad

30.10.2024

Order of Right-Believing Prince Daniel of Moscow presented to Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk by Patriarch Kirill

24.10.2024

Primate of the Russian Church celebrates Divine Liturgy in the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius Lavra on the commemoration day of St. Sergius of Radonezh

09.10.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Little Vespers and Akathistos hymn to St. Sergius in the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius

07.10.2024

Message from the Primate of the Russian Church to His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia in connection with blasphemous act on the ruins of ancient Ulpiana

14.09.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates on the feast of the 300th anniversary of the transfer of relics of St.Alexander Nevsky to St. Petersburg

12.09.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates All-night Vigil at the Christ the Savior Cathedral on the eve of Transfiguration

18.08.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' met with the Ambassador of India to Russia

30.07.2024

Metropolitan Hilarion: Many things in a person's life depend on faith

29.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Holy Spirit is the main treasure of the Christian soul

01.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: Holiness is a constant striving to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ

27.06.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: God does not want to condemn, but to save us

07.03.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord always grants to us the opportunity to display our talents

24.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord has imbued the waters of Jordan with his divine presence to wash away human sins

19.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: to repent means to change your way of life

17.01.2021

On commemoration day of St. Catherine, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk officiated at the Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr In-the-Fields  the representation of the Orthodox Church in America

07.12.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We can always show compassion for people

29.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion celebrates on commemoration day of St. Varlaam of Khutyn at the church of ‘Joy to All the Afflicted’ icon of the Mother of God

19.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We should remember that the life of each human being is in the hands of God

06.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: For God there is nothing impossible

25.10.2020

Metropoplitan Hilarion: The cross which was an instrument of dishonourable execution becomes the symbol of salvation for millions of people

27.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Eucharist is the wedding feast, to which Lord Jesus Christ invites each of us

13.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Faith alone is not enough for salvation

30.08.2020

Page is available in the following languages
Feedback

Fields marked by * are mandatory required

Send a message
Рус Укр Eng Deu Ελλ Fra Ita Бълг ქარ Срп Rom عرب