MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church will preserve their unique traditions and differences amid cooperation, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia assured.
"We’re not trying to hide doctrinal differences, not making it seem like they are unimportant. Interacting, we will keep our traditions intact. After all, our task is not to change each other in the course of dialogue, but, working together, to change the world around us that is full of suffering and injustice that threaten God-given human dignity," Patriarch Kirill said in an interview with Le Figaro.
According to the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, any criticism of cooperation between the two churches is due to a lack of accurate and sufficient information on the subject.
In February, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church held historic talks with Pope Francis in Cuba’s capital, Havana, where they issued a joint declaration urging global action to stop the persecution of Christians.
Patriarch Kirill is coming on a visit to France on Saturday.