More on Cardinal Kasper's trip to Russia

This is more on the trip by Cardinal Kasper to Russia by the Pontifical Oriental Institute. In standard Roman fashion it was sent out in one big textual blob. I took the liberty of creating paragraphs where none existed.

May 22, 2008(POI) - An "important" visit, especially for the "relations between the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church". That's how mgr. Paolo Pezzi, archbishop of Moscow, looks at the trip that Card. Walter Kasper, President of the Papal Council for the promotion of the unity of Christians, will take in the Russian Federation from 21 to 30 May. "The cardinal - highlights to SIR mgr. Pezzi - will have a number of meetings, with the Patriarch Alexius II and with the metropolitan bishop Kirill, whom he will meet in Smolensk.In addition, he will visit some Orthodox and Catholic places; in particular, I think I should mention his visit to Kazan, where he will go on a pilgrimage to the icon of the Virgin of Kazan, which he brought back himself to Russia and to the Orthodox Church a few years ago.

"As to the strict meaning of this trip, that is, as far as the Catholic Church is concerned - added the archbishop -, card. Kasper's presence in Moscow is certainly, for us, suggestive of the love and kindness of the Pope who sent here such an important assistant of his. We are waiting for him tomorrow evening, on the occasion of the Feast of Corpus Domini that he will celebrate with us and with the Catholic community of Moscow".

Going back to the ecumenical side to this trip, mgr. Pezzi said that this visit "is consistent with the effort that is being done for increasing dialogue and relations between the two Churches, with no specific expectations. As far as I know there's no special issue on the agenda of this meeting, but it is consistent with the dialogue that has been going on for a few years and that is getting deeper and deeper".

Is it reasonable to expect a meeting between the Patriarch and Pope Benedict XVI will be discussed? "There is - answers mgr. Pezzi - a wish to do that, but there are no conditions yet for such meeting to materialize. I think the cardinal's meeting with the Patriarch and then with the Metropolitan Bishop goes in this direction too, that is, it is aimed to discuss and consider such conditions".

PLANNED MEETING WITH PATRIARCH ALEXIUS II TOO

Card. Walter Kasper, President of the Papal Council for the promotion of the unity of Christians, will leave today for a trip in the Russian Federation on the invitation of His Eminence Kyrill, Metropolitan Bishop of Smolensk and Kaliningrad and President of the Department for External Ecclesiastic Relations of the Patriarchate of Moscow. It was revealed today by the Vatican Ministry headed by card. Kasper. The trip – reads a note –, from 21 to 30 May 2008, will take him to different parts of the country. His visit will begin with the celebration of Corpus Domini in the Catholic Cathedral of the Mother of God in Moscow, on the invitation of archbishop Paolo Pezzi. He should also have a meeting with His Holiness the Patriarch Alexius II, to whom card. Kasper will give a message and a gift from his Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. Personally invited by the Metropolitan Bishop Kyrill, card. Kasper will also attend the celebration of the saint’s day of the High Orthodox leader in Smolensk.

Card. Kasper – reads the note from the Papal Council – will go on a pilgrimage to Kazan, “a place dear to his heart”, to worship the icon of the Virgin which he brought back to Russia himself in 2004, on behalf of the Servant of God Pope John Paul II. He should also visit the monastery of Diveevo, near Nizhniy Novgorod, dedicated to Saint Seraph of Sarov, which is particularly loved by the Russian people. The purpose of the trip, as well as Cardinal Kasper’s personal meeting with the Catholic community in Moscow and the leaders of Russian Orthodoxy, is also to come into contact with the religious and cultural heritage of the Russian tradition.