Contacts between religious leaders of the many denominations have an essential practical importance in community life, considering social work, its pivotal part. Regrettably, that work is only emerging in Russia.
The Roman Catholic Church has a tremendous experience of charitable and other social work, and is willing to share the achievements with its Orthodox Christian brothers to the entire Russian nation's benefit, reassured the speaker.
Public education is part and parcel of interreligious and interconfessional partnership, said Mr. Kovalevsky as he called "to dispel false stereotypes in everyday public mentality-for instance, an idea of Catholicism predominating contemporary Western culture".
"It is the state's duty to streamline legislation on freedom of conscience, and to guarantee that freedom, which implies freedom to profess whatever religion or none at all, and change one's religious convictions," stressed the Roman Catholic Church spokesman.
