Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk meets with Pope Francis of Rome

 

From the website of the Department of External Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church 

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On 20 March 2013, Pope Francis of Rome met with Metropolitan Hilarion of
Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External
Church Relations (DECR). The meeting took place at the premises of Vatican
Secretariat of State.

At the beginning of the meeting, the DECR chairman conveyed to Pope Francis
warm greetings and gratitude for prayers from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of
Moscow and All Russia and noted that the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church
had closely followed the process of election and enthronement. Metropolitan
Hilarion presented the Pope with Patriarch Kirill’s book “Freedom and
Responsibility” in the Spanish language. Pope Francis conveyed his sincere best
wishes to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Metropolitan Hilarion told Pope Francis about life and ministry of the
Russian Orthodox Church and expressed his hope that good strides in the
development of relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman
Catholic Church made during the pontificate of Benedict XVI would be ensured.
The DECR chairman added that the Moscow Patriarchate attached great importance
to the development of relations with the Catholic Church, particularly in the
field of social ministry, aid to the poor and the destitute, and protection of
the persecuted.

Metropolitan Hilarion also told the Pope about the problems still existing
between the two Churches and expressed his hope for finding ways to their
solution during the new pontificate.

In conclusion of the meeting, the DECR chairman handed a gift from Patriarch
Kirill, an icon of the Mother of God, called ‘Look Down with Favour on My
Lowliness’, to Pope Francis, noting that “the first steps of Your Holiness after
the election were marked by lowliness and humility.” Pope Francis replied that
he lacked humility and asked for prayers to the Lord to grant it to him.

The talk was held in the Russian and Spanish languages and was translated by
Miguel Palacio, a DECR staff member.