Phanar: Interreligious dialogue should focus on standoff with Russian Church

Patriarch Bartholomew in Lithuania. Photo: fosfanariou.gr

During his visit to Lithuania, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, speaking at a special seminar on the topic “The reaction of churches and religious communities to wars and conflicts”, said that interreligious dialogue today should be focused on confrontation with the Russian Orthodox Church, the website fosfanariou.gr reports.

The head of the Phanar told his listeners that "Moscow's antagonism towards Constantinople weakened during the communist period, as religion was persecuted by the Soviet regime."

According to him, “for its part, the Ecumenical Patriarchate protected Russian emigrants and received their religious communities in its metropolises,” but from time to time, “especially after the election of Kirill as Patriarch of Moscow in 2009, antagonism resumed.”

Patriarch Bartholomew emphasized that “our interreligious dialogue should focus not only on ways to confront and neutralize the ability of the leadership of the Moscow Patriarchate to undermine unity and theologically legitimize criminal behavior,” but also on “returning our Russian brothers and sisters to our community of shared values.”

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the head of the Phanar was ready to help the peoples of Russia in their "spiritual revival".

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