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Photo: Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I embrace.

Details
Concluding the eighth joint meeting of the Commissions and summarizing its work, it is worth noting the path traveled, beginning with the meeting between His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia and His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, in Moscow in May 2004. It was then that the Commissions were charged with preparing the documents needed to reestablish canonical communion between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Church Abroad.

The path towards dialog was opened by fundamental changes in the life of the Orthodox Church in Russia: ruined churches and monasteries are being rebuilt, parish life and spiritual education are returning to normal, more and more people are coming to the Orthodox faith. Orthodox Christians in Russia and abroad are children of one Mother Church, heirs of a great spiritual tradition, cognizant of the artificiality of continuing division. Meetings among clergymen and laypersons, joint conferences, contact on the diocesan and parish level have helped destroy old stereotypes and prejudices, steering mutual relations onto a constructive track and preparing the groundwork for dialog on the hierarchical level.

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