Rome and Moscow Patriarchate Moving Closer Together

Edit: Believe it. It's going to happen.

The Ortodhox Church

 In recent days, the Russian Metropolitan Hilarion has been trying to "unblock" the historic face-to-face meeting with Russia's Patriarch. He may succeed, as long as Ukraine does not become a "Roman" patriarchy

Giacomo Galeazzi Vatican City A direct intervention, an unmediated contact. With his call to the Vatican in recent days, the chairman of the Department for External Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk has placed himself at the forefront of an unexpected attempt to accelerate dealings between the Holy See and the Patriarchate of Moscow. He made a clarification which was not on the agenda, to facilitate the meeting between Benedict XVI and the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Kirill. An historic "face to face" meeting that now seems less distant.

Moscow is laying out its request: if the Vatican resolves the issue of the Ukraine, the historic meeting between the Pope and the Russian Patriarch will finally be able to take place. During the present pontificate, relations have improved considerably between the Church of Rome and the bulk of Orthodoxy, represented by the Russian church. Both are increasingly in agreement about wanting to deal with what they consider to be the prime duty of Christians in Europe: a new evangelization of all those who are far from the faith. It is for this purpose that the Pope has decided to devote a specific Office of the Roman Curia to the new evangelisation.

Link to La Stampa...