Oct 24, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Relations between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches have greatly improved in the last 40 years since Nostra Aetate, Cardinal Walter Kasper told a press conference Monday.
The “ice is thawing,” he said, but added that Pope Benedict XVI would likely not visit Russia soon, reported The Associated Press.
He explained that Moscow Patriarch Alexy II hasn't excluded a meeting but that key issues had to be resolved first. One important issue is the Russian Orthodox Church's accusation that the Roman Catholic Church is proselytizing in Russia. The Vatican denies the charge.
However, Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, the Vatican's foreign minister, is expected to visit Russia for several days starting on Wednesday, reported the Russian news agency Itar-Tass.