Russian Church ready to discuss problems of dialogue with German Lutherans after their new leader is Elected

9/3/2010

Russian Church ready to discuss problems of dialogue with German Lutherans after their new leader is elected

Moscow, March 9, Interfax – The Moscow Patriarchate is ready to conduct talks on resuming the dialogue with the Evangelical Church in Germany by the end of the year.

“As for a resumption of the dialogue, I believe we will be able to discuss this matter after a new president of the ECG Council is elected, which is to take place in November,” Metropolitan Hilarion said in his interview to Interfax-Religion.

Bishop Margot Kaessmann, the leader of Germany’s Lutherans, has resigned after she had her driving license revoked for drunk driving.

Kaessmann, 51, a divorced mother of four daughters, was elected head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany, which unites over twenty Lutheran and Reformed Churches, during the Synod held on October 28. Then the Russian Orthodox Church stated it was not prepared to continue dialogue with the Evangelical Church in Germany in the previous format but may discuss current disagreements.

According to Metropolitan Hilarion, “election of Ms. Kaessmann was only the tip of an iceberg of a sort.”

“As His Holiness Patriarch Kirill said in his address to the Bishops’ Conference, we disagree in principle with the liberalization in theology, church order and morality which takes place in many Protestant communities including the ECG. We should be frank and ask: Is there any sense in conducting a dialogue if it does not bring us closer together?” the hierarch said.

At the same time, he accepted that “we have many opportunities for cooperation and we should preserve the great positive potential we have accumulated for the 50 years of dialogue.”

“But can we continue the cooperation in the form of interchurch dialogue, or should we look for some other forms of cooperation? I believe we will be able to answer this question when a new president of the Council is elected and when it is clear how seriously the ECG takes our concern for the situation as it has developed,” the Metropolitan summed up.

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