Church in the World

?Love thy Orthodox neighbour,? laity urged

Russia

The Vatican's nuncio to Russia has urged Catholics to show greater regard for the country's Orthodox traditions to help improve ecumenical relations, writes Jonathan Luxmoore.

"We must try to understand with love - and understanding takes learning," said Archbishop Antonio Mennini. "We must seek to show more gestures of sympathy and respect for the Russian Orthodox Church, putting away distrust and prejudice, and working only for the sake of Jesus."

The nuncio made the appeal in a letter accompanying a new Directory for Applying the Principles and Norms of Ecumenism, which was republished in December for circulation to Russia's 270 Catholic parishes and other church centres.

The ecumenism guidelines, first issued in 1992, urge Catholic clergy to develop contacts and exchanges with other Churches. They also recognise the Orthodox Church's right to spread Christianity in traditionally Orthodox areas and call on Catholic clergy to conduct missions "not in competition but with a shared esteem for unity".

Catholic-Orthodox ties have been strained by Orthodox complaints of Catholic "proselytism", the revival of Greek Catholic churches, and the creation of four new Catholic dioceses.

Circulation of the Directory coincided with calls for tougher laws to deter violence against clergy after recent attacks, including the burning alive in December of an Orthodox priest with his wife and three children by assailants at their house near Tver.

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