The Vatican's new top representative for Russia arrived Saturday, expressing hope for improving relations that have grown tense over accusations that Roman Catholics are trying to undermine the dominant Russian Orthodox Church.
Papal nuncio Archbishop Antonio Mennini said at Sheremetyevo-2 international airport that he hopes relations between Russia and the Vatican "can develop with joint trust and cooperation."
The Roman Catholic Church "harbors a feeling of respect and esteem, great and sincere gratitude for the spiritual and cultural traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church," Mennini said in Russian.
The Russian Orthodox Church complains that Catholics are trying to convert people who traditionally would have been Orthodox. Under decades of Soviet atheism, the church's membership fell precipitately and the post-Soviet church is highly sensitive to what it views as obstacles to restoring its flock.
Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II long has said he will not agree to a visit by Pope John Paul II — which the pontiff deeply desires — unless relations improve and Catholics stop their alleged proselytizing.
The dispute escalated sharply last year after the Vatican decided to upgrade its "apostolic administrations" to full dioceses.
Five foreign-born Catholics had their Russian visas revoked or not renewed last year and Russia Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz complained that Catholics also experienced bans on constructing new churches, and the vandalism and desecration of existing churches.
Last month, the Vatican's foreign minister, Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, summoned Russia's ambassador to the Holy See to formally complain about what he called a "true anti-Catholic campaign" in the country.