Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev of Volokolamsk (1966- ), the head of the MP DECR… he’s the world’s expert at saying nothing with the largest number of words. It’s a sad commentary on the Western press that they’re taken in by such a phony.
Once again, the Moscow Patriarchate reiterated that a meeting between the Patriarch of Moscow and all the Russias and the Pope of Rome is possible, but only after the solution of the problems that exist in the relations between the two churches. “I wish to see not just a generic meeting between a patriarch and a pope, I wish to see a meeting between Kirill and Benedict XVI”, said Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev, the head of the Department for External Church Relations of the MP, on Wednesday at a press conference in Rome, devoted to the Days of Russian Spiritual Culture in the Vatican, according to television channel Россия-24 (Russia-24). At the same time, he admitted that there are still unresolved problems in inter-church relations, in particular, the problem of Uniates in the western Ukraine. However, he said, the dialogue between the two churches is moving ahead. “Times and people have changed”, he added.
On 20 May, at the Vatican, in the Pope Paul VI Audience Hall, there will be a concert of Orthodox music. The audience will hear works by Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and other Russian composers performed by the Russian National Orchestra, the Moscow Synodal Choir, and the Rogov Capella of St Petersburg. Metropolitan Hilarion’s Symphony for Chorus and Orchestra “Song of Ascents” will conclude the concert. This project was proposed last year. On 18 September 2009, Metropolitan Hilarion met with the Pope of Rome, with the blessing of Patriarch Kirill. During the meeting, both parties noted the special importance of cultural relations between Catholics and Orthodox to preserve traditional Christian values. At that time, it was decided to hold a festival, the “Days of Russian Spiritual Culture” in Rome in spring 2010. The main event of the festival will be the concert of Russian music on 20 May.
19 May 2010
Interfax-Religion
http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=35636
Editor’s Note:
Well, I had three articles today in my Google Alerts on a “pending meeting between the pope and patriarch”. Hmm… none were from Orthodox sources… so, I pulled up Interfax, and I saw this. Folks, NOTHING has changed.
NOTHING AT ALL.
THERE IS GOING TO BE NO MEETING OF POPE BENEDICT AND PATRIARCH KIRILL.
The Boy Blunder didn’t say anything new at all. Do the Western news agencies have boobs in their Vatican offices? I’ll say this, Asia News and Zenit didn’t pick up on it… God willing, they won’t… This is a non-starter right from the get-go. Trust me… any meeting is going to founder on the rock of the Galician Uniates… full stop.
This is nothing but a concert, nothing more. As for Alfeyev being a hotshot composer, he doesn’t have the time to do it. He probably dopes out the outline and sends it to a friend at the Gnessin to orchestrate and set it. If you believe that he writes major orchestral compositions in his spare time… I’ve got a wonderful bridge, just for you… cash, please, no cheques or plastic, and do make that in small bills…
Shame on the Western press! Where do they find such idiots?
BMD
