The Shepherd, May 2005
NEWS SECTION
WARMING OF ROME-MOSCOW RELATIONS
WITH THE ELECTION of Pope Benedict XVI, it appears that relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the Patriarchate of Moscow are somewhat warmer than they were. The late Pope JohnPaul II many times expressed a desire to visit Russia, but this was strenuously opposed by His Holiness Patriarch Aleksii II of Moscow. Now, however, although it is not revealed why, the Patriarch is reported to be “giving the green light to a visit from Benedict XVI in Russia if the new pope shows interest.” The Patriarch has praised the new Pope for his powerful intellect and “his courageous defence of ‘traditional Christian values.’”
MOSCOW HIERARCH PROPOSES CATHOLIC-ORTHODOX ALLIANCE
HIS GRACE Bishop Hilarion (Alfeyev), the Moscow Patriarchate hierarch of Vienna and Austria, who for a short period served in the Sourozh Diocese here in England, has proposed the setting up of a European Catholic-Orthodox Alliance to fight together against “the secularism, liberalism and relativism prevailing in Europe.” He sees the rôle of the Alliance as “defending life, marriage and procreation, struggling against legalisation of contraception, abortion and euthanasia, against recognition of homosexual unions as equal to marital ones, against libertinage in all forms.” He opines that “the social and ethical teachings of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches are extremely close, in many cases practically identical,” but appears to fail to see that this closeness is in some respects rather superficial. Among the Orthodox, he includes the Non-Chalcedonian Christians, but is unwilling to include Protestants even in his Alliance, because their “positions are in most cases much more in tune with modern developments.” One can understand the good Bishop’s concern, and perhaps his ideas have to be developed and considered, but
CHRISTIAN POSITION IN THE HOLY LAND THREATENED
THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY in the Holy Land is being destroyed as a result of the security measures that the Israelis are taking against the Palestinians, according to Henry Hyde, a staunch supporter of Israel and a prominent Roman Catholic laymen. Hyde has brought his concerns to the Israeli Vice-Premier Shimon Peres. He points out that in Jerusalem the barrier which is being built is separating Palestinians from Palestinians and not Palestinians from Jews. Mother Agapia of the Orthodox School in Bethany (ROCA) has joined her voice to the protest, and during a recent visit to Washington, addressed a letter to Congress about the situation. “It is only a matter of time before Christians and Muslims will be unable to survive culturally and economically,” she predicted. 
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