Russian cleric joined in Vatican ceremony: a hint of closer ties?
July 01, 2011
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A Russian Orthodox priest quietly joined in the Vatican ceremonies celebrating the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul on June 29.
For several years, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople has sent a delegation to the Vatican for the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, the patrons of the Rome diocese. In exchange, a Vatican delegation has traveled to Istanbul for the feast of St. Andrew, the patron of the Constantinople see. The Moscow Patriarchate has not previously participated in these exchanges.
However, a Russian report notes that Father Anthony Sevryuk, the rector of the Orthodox church of St. Catherine in Rome, was present at this year's celebration. His presence may be taken as further indication of a warming trend in the sometimes-troubled relations between the Vatican and the Moscow Patriarchate.
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Posted by: Art Kelly -
Jul. 01, 2011 10:29 PM ET USA
That a Russian Orthodox priest stationed in Rome attended a ceremony in the Vatican to commemorate the feasts of St. Peter and St. Paul doesn't seem significant. But in light of the previous Russian Orthodox hostility towards Catholicism, perhaps this small action might be "the first step in the journey of a thousand miles."
