Moscow (AsiaNews/Agencies) The Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate remains favourable to the dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church on problems of common concern to both Orthodox and Catholics.
The Synod, which opened yesterday at the laura or monastery of the Holy Trinity and St Sergius in Sergiev Posad, indicated that human rights and dignity as well as people's moral responsibility are among some of the key issues to the dialogue with the Catholic Church.
The same issues were discussed last May at the meeting between Metropolitan Kirill, head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, and Pope Benedict XVI.
The participants to the Synod's summer session expressed their satisfaction at the outcome those talks, noting that the positions of the two churches on issues affecting contemporary societies were close and that both wanted to continue working together to draw up a paper that would reflect their positions.
For the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches, formulating a common and clear position on bioethical issues and joining forces in defence of the family and human life are regarded as useful steps.
The Synod also approved the results of the Orthodox-Catholic Conference 'Give a Soul to Europe: The Mission and Responsibility of the Churches', which took place in Vienna in early May. It dealt with such topics as the challenges of globalisation, the impact of Christian ethics on politics, economics and the mass media, and dialogue of Churches with other religions.
