Friday, 12 February 2016, a historical meeting took place in Havana, capital city of Cuba, between the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Primate of the Catholic Church. During the meeting, His Beatitude Kirill and His Holiness Pope Francis signed a common statement and launched an appeal for the ceasing of the conflict and persecutions of Christians in the Middle East.
The two religious leaders were met at “Jose Marti” airport of Havana by officials of the Republic of Cuba.
During the meeting, Patriarch Kirill and Pope Francis drew the attention over the violence in Iraq and Syria underlining the seriousness of the humanitarian issues in the region. An appeal was launched to the international community to become involved in solving these issues. The two Primates of Churches underlined the vital importance of the interreligious dialogue and appealed to all those involved in the fight against terrorism to act “in a cautious and responsible way”.The two Primates have also talked, during the meeting, about the relations between the two Churches and about the issues their faithful are faced with, about the wars waged in the world, about the conflict of Ukraine, as well as about the next Panorthodox Synod. His Beatitude and the His Holiness underlined, during the meeting, the fact that the traditional family consists of a man and a woman. “Family is based on marriage, a free and faithful act of love between a man and a woman” the two religious leaders underlined showing that “love is the one that seals their union and teaches them to accept each other as a gift. Marriage is a school of love and fidelity”. The Patriarch of Russia and Pope Francis expressed their regret because “other forms of cohabiting are placed at the same level with this union, while the concept of paternity and maternity as particular vocation of the man and woman in marriage, consecrated by the Bible tradition, is removed from the public conscience”.
The Pope declared for Vatican Radio station that he felt, on the occasion of this meeting, “an inner joy that came from God”. While referring to this meeting, Pope Francis told the journalists that “it was a fraternal meeting”.
Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, president of the Department for External Church Relations of Moscow Patriarchate and Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity attended.
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