Russian Church expects preparatory work for All-Orthodox Council to be resumed under Patriarch Kirill

The Russian Orthodox Church believes that preparations for the All-Orthodox Council will be more active in the nearest future. "We expect that preparatory process for the great and holy All-Orthodox Council of the Eastern Church will be revived," Inter-Orthodox Secretary of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Archpriest Nikolay Balashov said on Friday at a telebridge between Moscow and Paris.

He reminded that preparations for the Council started in 1960 and after 30 years "unfortunately, they were suspended, but not through the Russian Church fault." The Preparatory Commission last met about fifteen years ago.

Fr. Nikolay reminded that last autumn at the Istanbul meeting between primates of all Orthodox Churches Patriarch Kirill (then Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad - IF) "actively and largely contributed" in taking decisions to lead preparatory work out of the deadlock.

According to the priest, two meetings dedicated to preparations for the All-Orthodox meeting with representatives of all local Orthodox Churches participating are to take place this year.

Source: Interfax religion