Cardinal Koch visits Russian Orthodox Seminary in France

On 13 February 2022, during his visit to Paris for the anniversary of the meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill, Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, visited the Russian Orthodox Seminary in France, where he was received by Metropolitan Antonij, Patriarchal Exarch for Western Europe of the Moscow Patriarchate, together with Reverend Father Alexandre Siniakov, Rector of the Seminary.

A “moleben” was sung in the Seminary Chapel, at the conclusion of which Cardinal Koch expressed his greetings [FR], highlighting that “the Russian Orthodox Seminary in France plays a special, indeed unique, role in relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church”, reflecting that “beyond its educational scope, the Seminary is an authentic bridge between the two Churches”. He continued by stating that “in a certain sense, it is a ‘living icon’ of Russian orthodoxy, thanks to which many Catholics can learn to understand and love it better”.

Bishop Didier Berthet, President of the Commission for Christian Unity of the French Bishops’ Conference, and Reverend Father Miguel Desjardins, CCN, Director of the national service for Christian unity, also took part in the visit.

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