MOSCOW - The head of the Russian Orthodox Church suggested in an interview published Monday that the Vatican had misled Orthodox believers in order to gain converts.
The statements by Patriarch Alexy II were the latest accusation in a long-standing church dispute that intensified earlier this year when the Vatican upgraded its structure in Russia to full-fledged dioceses. The Orthodox Church accuses the Vatican of invading its historical territory and poaching souls.
"There is quite a bit of evidence of conversion to Catholicism by Orthodox, often because of people's ignorance about the religious differences between Catholicism and Orthodoxy and even because of their difficult material or financial situation," the patriarch told the newspaper Izvestia. He did not elaborate.
However, Alexy agreed with Catholic statements that such conversions are not widespread, insisting they did not constitute a threat to the Orthodox Church.
"We have no reason to fear a noticeable growth in Catholic influence in Russia. We are only aiming for mutually respectful and constructive relations with the Roman Catholic Church," he said.
The conflict between the churches has kept Pope John Paul II from realizing a long-held wish to visit Russia.
In the interview, the patriarch reiterated the Russian Orthodox Church's stance that a papal visit should take place only after the churches resolve key differences, including over alleged Catholic proselytizing and religious conflicts in western Ukraine.
"The Vatican must stop the practice of proselytizing among the traditionally Orthodox population of Russia" and other former Soviet republics, Alexy said.
Catholic officials insist that their activities in Russia are legitimate and aimed at rebuilding followings devastated by state-enforced atheism in Soviet times.