Representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Holy See discuss cooperation in cultural and social spheres

On 12th February 2021, the Joint Working Group for Cooperation between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Holy See held an online session.

Representing the Russian Orthodox Church at the meeting were Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations; Metropolitan Tikhon of Pskov and Porkhov, chairman of the Patriarchal Council for Culture; Archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov), DECR vice-chairman; Hieromonk Panteleimon (Aleshin), vice-chairman of the Department for Church Charity and Social Ministry; Hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov), DECR secretary for inter-Christian relations; Mr. Mikhail Klykov, head of projects department of the Patriarchal Council for Culture; and Mr. Alexei Puzakov, artistic director of the Moscow Synodal Choir.

The Holy See was represented by Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity; Archbishop Giovanni D’Aniello, Apostolic Nuncio to the Russian Federation; Msgr. Carlos Azevedo, delegate of the Pontifical Council for Culture; Ms Nataša Govekar , director of Pastoral Theology department of the Dicastery for Communication; Msgr. Flavio Pace, Rev. Oleksandr Sapunko and Mr. Gianpaolo Rigotti of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches; Msgr. Bernar Munono of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development; Msgr. Marcos Pavan, director of the Sistine Chapel Choir; Rev. Andrea Ciucci of the Pontifical Academy for Life; Mr. Peter Humeniuk of Kirche in Not Foundation; and Rev. Jaromir Zadrapa of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

The Working Group was initially established as a platform for interaction in the cultural sphere, but since 2020 cooperation in the area of social ministry has also been within its competence.

The Working Group members discussed new initiatives in the cultural and social spheres to be implemented in 2021-2022, as well as a number of projects outlined at the previous meeting in Rome in February 2020, which were not carried out due to the coronavirus pandemic.

DECR Communication Service

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Representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Holy See discuss cooperation in cultural and social spheres

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons