Meeting with the Pope canceled: Patriarch Kirill is not going to Kazakhstan

Patriarch Kirill will not travel to Kazakhstan for the 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions on September 14-15 and, accordingly, will not meet there "on the sidelines" with Pope Francis, whose visit to the republic is scheduled for September 13-15. This is reported by RIA Novosti with reference to the head of the DECR MP, Metropolitan Anthony (Sevriuk).

According to Metropolitan Anthony, the ROC will be represented at the Congress by an official delegation, the Patriarch himself will not take part in its work.

The head of the DECR MP also said that in the spring the Vatican unilaterally suspended preparations for a meeting between Patriarch Kirill and Pope Francis.

He assured that “since then, no proposals have been made by the Vatican regarding the possible organization of the meeting at another time or place <…> have not been officially received.”

According to the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church, the meeting of the Patriarch of Moscow and the Pope "cannot take place ‘on the sidelines’; albeit it is a significant event as the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, it should become an independent event due to its particular importance."

Earlier, the UOJ reported that, according to Andriy Yurash, a meeting of the pontiff and Patriarch Kirill in Kazakhstan would be undesirable for Ukraine.

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