MOSCOW, (CWNews.com) - A prominent Russian official, in a letter released on Friday, has expressed concern over Pope John Paul II's planned visit to Ukraine in June.
First Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Avdeyev wrote the letter in reply to a question from a senior member of parliament. Avdeyev said the foreign ministry had discussed relations between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches with the Vatican. "This is naturally done in a delicate manner based on the constitutional principle of separation of church and state," Avdeyev wrote.
"At the request of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Russian Foreign Ministry ... has made known to the leadership of the Holy See our concerns in connection with preparations for the Pope's visit to Ukraine," he said. The letter was made public by the parliament.
The Russian Orthodox Church has repeatedly expressed concerns over the Pope's visit, citing continuing disputes with Ukrainian Catholics over disputed property that was stripped from Catholic by the Soviets in the 1940s and given to the Orthodox. Catholics have demanded the return of the churches. In addition, the Orthodox church is experiencing internal problems in Ukraine, and Moscow-based Orthodox leaders fear a visit by the Pope could lead to legitimacy for the dissenters. Finally, the Orthodox complain that Catholics are proselytizing historically Orthodox peoples, although Catholics reply that most of these people are not practicing Christians.