Cardinal Pietro Parolin on goals of 4-day Russia visit
(Vatican Radio) Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin,
who is on a 4-day visit to Russia, gave a wide-ranging interview with the
Russian state news agency TASS, ahead of his arrival on Monday.
Cardinal Parolin speaks at length about the aims of his
visit to Moscow and gives his views on various international issues.
Please find below a full transcript in English of the
interview with Cardinal Parolin:
Q: Your Eminence, this is the first time you come to
Russia as the Cardinal Secretary of State. What is on the agenda of your visit?
Are you going to meet with Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill and
President Vladimir Putin? You act simultaneously in two capacities – as a
high-ranking representative of the Roman Catholic Church and as the head of the
Holy See’s government. How would you describe the contacts between Catholics
and Orthodox believers, between the Roman Catholic Church and the Moscow
Patriarchate, as well as relations between Vatican and Russia?
R: We have been working on the idea of the visit to Russia
for a long time, and it will take place from August 20 to 24. The meeting with
President Putin is scheduled for August 23. A day earlier, I will have a
conversation with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. On August 21, I will meet with
Catholic bishops of Russia and on the same evening I will serve a liturgy for
the Catholic community of Moscow at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
of the Holy Virgin Mary.
I will also meet with Patriarch Kirill and have a
conversation with Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk. As you correctly noted,
the Holy See simultaneously performs both a spiritual and a diplomatic role.
That is why the Vatican diplomacy is of special nature. It does not rely on any
other force, except for taking care of every person and every nation through
dialogue. Taking into account these very aspects, I will discuss with my
Russian dialogue partners the issues which are of mutual interest for us, as
well as crises in different parts of the world, which are both distant and very
near. The conversation with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church proves the
openness that emerged in recent years and was marked by the historic meeting in
Havana last year. Then Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill spoke of rapprochement
as a shared path. When we walk this path together and conduct fraternal
dialogue, we can feel the moments of unity. This path requires the search for
truth, as well as love, patience, persistence and determination.
Q: Did the historic meeting in Havana of Pope Francis and
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill give an impetus to a better
understanding? What are the future steps to develop the ecumenical dialogue and
the prospects for an even closer rapprochement between the two (Christian)
Churches?
R: That meeting was the first step that had been expected
for a long time. Not only it strengthened the contacts of the representatives
of the Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches, which became more frequent and
filled with concrete content, but also prompted the two churches to look at the
discrepancies we had in the past and their causes in a new way. Although the
negative effect of those differences can still be felt now, the meeting also
helped us see the unity we are striving for, the unity which is required by the
Gospels we profess. It is very important that we have this renewed mutual
positive view that every servant of the God, priest and believer will share.
This is the condition, in my opinion, for the fulfillment of new and, I would
say, unprecedented steps in the development of the ecumenical dialogue and the
rapprochement of our Churches, the steps that the Holy Spirit will hint to
those who listen carefully to his voice.
Q: Millions of believers in Russia had an opportunity to
venerate relics of St. Nicholas, which had been brought for the purpose from
the city of Bari to Moscow and St. Petersburg. This was one of the practical
results of that landmark meeting. What is the significance of bringing such a
revered Christian relic to Russia?
R: I know that the relics of St. Nicholas were received in
Russia with a special spiritual uplift, and that for more than two months an
impressive number of clergymen and believers in Moscow and St. Petersburg
venerated the relics. There is no doubt that this event and other similar
initiatives, which can be called the "ecumenism of the saints", give
an opportunity to fully feel what already unites Christians. This was not only
an important event in the spiritual life of believers, but also an example for
other initiatives that strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation in
various fields. At the same time, a new impetus was given to dialogue on more
complex issues in church relations, as well as to dialogue between churches and
society on spiritual, cultural and political issues of our time.
Q: Both our churches, Catholic and Orthodox, now face the
danger of losing traditional Christian values. What can be done to preserve
them? Russia in this sense is widely regarded as the last stronghold of those
values, for example, such as traditional family values. On the other hand, it's
no secret that our country is often criticized in Europe for the lack of
liberalism and rejection of relations between people of nonstandard sexual
orientation. Is it possible today to ensure that traditional values are not
in conflict with modern vision of democracy?
R: Today, there is no shortage of challenges that the modern
world produces. It is not only about preserving values but the very concept of
human personality and human dignity. Showing respect to a human being and his
work, social justice, interpersonal relations and interaction between different
states – these are all challenges of a peaceful existence. As we face these
challenges, our task remains the same as St. Peter defined it in his First
Epistle General:
“But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be
prepared to articulate a defense to everyone who asks you to give the reason
for the hope that you have. But respond with genetleness and respect.” (Peter
3:15)
When the churches insist on following the evangelical
message and respecting the values established in the Holy Scripture, they do
so not to humiliate a modern person or to put unnecessary pressure on him but
to show the path to salvation and fulfillment. When performing this mission,
which never ends, it is extremely important to establish effective cooperation
between different religious denominations. It is also important because, as you
noted, the challenges Christians are facing in the West and in Eastern Europe
are seen from different angles. Greater mutual understanding between the
Churches, exchange of experience in different regions, may become an important
contribution to understanding of these problems. It is always useful to learn a
different vision, so to speak, a look from beyond, in order to have the most
complete picture of reality, less prone to the trends that gradually become
very common.
Q: Another serious threat of the present day is the
Islamic terrorism, which makes no difference between peoples and religions. How
can this phenomenon be defeated and how does the Holy See views Russia’s
counter-terrorism efforts?
R: I can see at least two aspects in this matter. On the one
hand, there are steps made by this or that government, which are often dictated
by concrete situations. When one faces a situation of this kind, one has to
make a certain choice based on the politicians’ assessments. No doubt, the need
to tackle terrorism is evident for the Church, but all actions must be weighted
in order to prevent a situation in which the use of force would trigger
spiraling violence or lead to violations of human rights, including the freedom
of religion.
On the other hand, the Church is always guided by the
long-term perspective. First of all, it is the encouragement and assistance in
personal development, especially among the young generations, as well as solid
dialogue between religions. During the past decades, the Holy See has been
making all possible efforts to establish, strengthen or restore dialogue on the
cultural and religious levels and in the social and humanitarian sphere. I’m
absolutely convinced that life under the guidance of the Gospel would in itself
make an important contribution into forming the society and culture, which
simultaneously assists personal development and encourages an intense and
constructive dialogue with other authentic cultures and religions.
Q: At the moment, the whole world has its eyes set on US
President Donald Trump, who has been making rather controversial decisions during
his first months of office, starting from his decision to withdraw from the
Paris Accord on climate change. It turned out that even a meeting with Pope
Francis, who pays great attention to the climate change problem, could not
change his mind. Of course, you have plenty of information about the United
States, a country that plays a very important role in the modern world. What
can be expected and what does Vatican expect from the current US president?
R: The meeting between the Pope and President Trump (in late
May - TASS) was held in the atmosphere of mutual respect and I would say, with
mutual sincerity. Both the Pontiff and the US leader were able to share their
visions on numerous issues, including the climate change problem. I hope that
despite the determination to fulfill the electoral promises and despite
Washington’s announced withdrawal from the Paris Accord, pragmatic approaches
will prevail, in continuation to the US administration’s decision to keep the
climate change discussion running. We, in our turn, can only wish that
President Trump, just like other members of the international community, does
not neglect the extremely difficult task of tackling the global warming and its
negative consequences that affect the global population, in particular spurring
the growth of inequality and poverty.
In my opinion, modern international relations are becoming
increasingly dominated by the understanding that policies and strategies based
on open clashes and confrontations, with I would describe as a dialogue of the
deaf, or, worse, (policies that) fuel fears and are based on intimidation with
nuclear or chemical weapons, do not lead to correct solutions and fail to ease
tensions between states. It has to be noted, as Pope Francis often says, that
building peace is a path, which is a lot thornier than war and conflict.
Building peace requires a patient and constructive dialogue with mutual respect
instead of focusing all attention to own national interests. This is all that
is expected from the leaders of global powers.
Q: Before Pope Francis appointed you to your current
post, you have spent several years of diplomatic service as the Apostolic
Nuncio (ambassador) in Venezuela. What is Vatican’s opinion of the situation in
this Latin American country?
A.: I’m seriously concerned by the situation in Venezuela, a
country which is dear to my heart and where I have many friends. As I have
already said on numerous occasions, the Holy See has closely followed the development
of the Venezuelan crisis from its very outset and made numerous attempts aimed
at searching for a peaceful and democratic solution, despite lots of
differences that still remain. As far as prospects for reconciliation are
concerned, I think that there is always only one way: it is necessary to
negotiate, to create the atmosphere of trust and at the same time avoid steps
that may aggravate tensions and incite new clashes. One should treat opponents
with respect, conduct a serious dialogue, observe the principles of democracy
and respect justice. One also needs to stay focused and determined in
fulfilling the reached agreements, viewing the well-being of the people, who
have many needs, as an utmost priority. The country is hit by a serious humanitarian
crisis, and people are dying due to lack of food and medicine, and this should
not be forgotten or treated as a secondary problem. I would also like to add
that the international community, including nations that have friendly ties
with Venezuela, have great responsibilities and should offer selfless
assistance aimed at facilitating a positive solution for the current situation.
Interviewed by Vera Shcherbakova (Vatican).
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