Archbishop of Paris to visit Russia

Archbishop of Paris Andre Vingt-Trois will be in Russia on a visit on October 26 to 30 at the invitation of Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia. "The Russian Patriarch visited Paris last year, where he was cordially welcomed by the Catholic side. It is the cardinal's return visit," Priest Igor Vyzhanov, secretary of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, told Interfax-Religion on Tuesday.

"Good relations should be maintained today between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches in the face of present-day challenges," he said.

The history of the Catholic Church in France and of the Orthodox Church in Russia have similar traits, Father Igor said. "The Catholic Church was persecuted in the dramatic years of the Great French Revolution," he added.

"Attempts were being made by liberal French politicians in the 19th to the early20th centuries to curb the Church's influence. Our two Churches have an experience of surviving in a dramatic environment, and therefore have prerequisites for mutual understanding and interaction," he said.

Source: Interfax religion