RUSSIAN ORTHODOX PATRIARCH PROCLAIMS PROGRESS WITH CATHOLICS; DISTANCES FROM PROTESTANTS.............

The Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kiril, speaking at the reconvening of the Council of Bishops in Moscow last Saturday underscored what he referred to as, "positive trends", in the dialogue with Catholics; and "distances", in relations with Protestant Christians.  Regarding the Russian Orthodox-Roman Catholic dialogue, the Patriarch spoke of the success of the ecumenical efforts of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic denominations.  He cited, "a common position on a number of topical issues including family, church, and state relations, the moral and spiritual reasons for the economic crisis".  Patriarch Kiril also criticized trends in many of the Protestant Christian churches in the West, which he said, "Continue on the path of liberalization, especially in ecclesiology and moral teaching".  The, "blessing of homosexual unions and ordination of people who have openly admitted non-traditional sexual orientation", which he called - "the norm for several Protestant communities in the West"; going on to say that achieving a common doctrinal understanding with these communities, "has lost its meaning".  Other members of the Russian Orthodox Council of Bishops are calling for, "more transparency", in the discussion of the documents in the dialogue and are raising concerns about the Primacy in the universal Church, orthodox doctrine, canonical tradition, and conciliarity, in reaching an ecumenical agreement with Roman Catholics.............Fr.  Troy