MOSCOW, December 18 (RUA Novosti) – The head of the Russian Orthodox Church said at a meeting with a Roman Catholic cardinal that the Russian Orthodoxy had “high expectations” for Pope Francis’s pontifical tenure.
“Our expectations are high, because a lot of the ideas expressed by the pope to the church, the world and the society coincide with how we see it,” Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill said at a meeting with Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
“And we share an understanding that today we need to boost discussions concerning problems that are a challenge to all Christians,” the patriarch added.
He said he was extremely pleased by how ties between the two branches of Christianity had recently strengthened.
“I think it is very positive that more and more often we get an opportunity to meet with Catholic prelates, including from the College of Cardinals. I appreciate the possibility of a direct conversation, a dialogue,” the patriarch said.
The cardinal said that the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches currently have “wonderful” relations.
