En français

Why does the Russian Orthodox Church need a representation to the European Union, given that Russia is not a member and does not, at least at this stage, plan to join it? First of all it should be stated that the Russian Church is not solely the Church ‘of Russia’ or ‘of Russians’: its canonical jurisdiction includes also the Orthodox of the Ukraine, Bielorussia, Moldova, the Baltic states, as well as of the other countries of the ‘post-Soviet space’. Moreover, dioceses and parishes of the Russian Church exist in many countries in the West, including, of course, the countries that are members of the European Union. This, to a significant degree, conditions the interest shown by the hierarchy of the Russian Church to the processes taking place in uniting Europe. What will be the face of a new Europe after the completion of the process of integration? Which principles will be assumed as the basis of European law? Which norms will regulate the activity of various religious communities in the territory of the European Union? The Russian Church is not indifferent to these questions.

Some of them were discussed during the visit of Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad to Brussels, where he met with leading officials of the European Institutions. The results of this visit were evaluated on 17 July by the Holy Synod, which decided to establish a permanent representation of the Russian Orthodox Church to the European Institutions. The aims and objectives of the newly-created representation were explained in a letter from His Holiness Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Russia to the President of the European Commission Romano Prodi. In this letter His Holiness outlined major areas of cooperation between the Russian Church and the European Union, such as common discussion of inter-ethnic, inter-religious and inter-civilizational problems, the philosophical foundations of law, and various ethical and social concerns. In other words, the first and principal task of the Brussels representation will be to participate in those discussions on the future of Europe which are already underway in the European Institutions. The position of the Russian Church must be known to the European Commission, to the Council of Europe, to the European Parliament, to the OSCE, to NATO, and to other international and intergovernmental bodies. Through its representation in Brussels the Russian Church will take part both in discussing specific problems related, directly or indirectly, to the religious situation in the countries of the European Union, and in discussing the theoretical foundations of European integration.

However, the representation will also have other tasks. One of them will be to establish direct contact with the Western media. It is important that anyone in the West interested in the Russian Church is able to receive first-hand information about it.

Another task of the representation will be to maintain and develop inter-Christian and inter-religious contacts, as well as to clarify the position of the Russian Church on burning issues in the area of inter-Church relations.

Our representation to the European Institutions will aim for close cooperation and interaction with the existing representations of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Church of Greece, as well as with various representations of the Roman Catholic Church, Protestant Churches, and inter-Christian organizations. Christians of various confessions have common positions on many questions related to Christian witness to the secular world and to the role of religion in uniting Europe, as well as on many social and political issues. It is important that in discussing these issues European Christians should be able to put up a united front.