Expanding cooperation between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church will have significant implications for the future of all of Europe, Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia has said."This cooperation is extremely important on the European continent, which has deep Christian roots.
Unfortunately, these Christian roots are being subjected to oblivion and even trampled upon today," Alexy II said at a meeting with Cardinal Peter Erdo, the president of the Council of Episcopal Conferences of Europe.
The attempts to impose a secular mentality on society and oust religion to the periphery of public affairs are especially active in Europe these days, Alexy said.
"I think cooperation between our churches is enriched by similarity in our positions on many important issues, such as globalization, the role of religion in society, human rights and dignity, family values, demography, bioethics, and many others," he said.
Orthodox-Catholic cooperation can develop in various areas, Alexy said.
He praised the fact that the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church are represented in international governmental bodies in Brussels, Belgium, Strasbourg, France and the United Nations.
Alexy regretted that relations between the Moscow Patriarchate and Catholics in Russia are not always cloudless. "I think these relations could be improved with the Council of Episcopal Conferences of Europe's involvement," he said.
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