Pope Francis Meets with Russian Orthodox Representative

Rome, Nov 12, 2013 (Prensa Latina) Pope Francis today received  Metropolitan Hilarion, head of Department of External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church, who is visiting this capital.

The meeting is considered an important sign of an eventual rapprochement between the two churches, which have been strained in the past few years.
During his stay in Italy, Hilarion is expected to attend a symposium organized by the Vatican on “The Orthodox and Catholic Churches Together for Family.”
The pope’s meeting with Hilarion precedes a scheduled Nov. 25 meeting with President Vladimir Putin, in what would be the first visit of a Russian head of state to the Holy See, the Vatican reported.