The Russian Orthodox Church's chief official for relations with other Christians indicated Wednesday that prospects are dim for Pope John Paul II's long-desired visit to Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has favored a papal visit, but John Paul does not want to come unless the Orthodox welcome him.
Metropolitan Kirill told a news conference that such a visit "cannot just be a show" and an accord with the Vatican must be reached first, at least on two major disagreements: the presence in traditionally Orthodox nations of Eastern Rite Catholic churches which are loyal to the pope, and Catholic missionary activity in Orthodox countries.
Both points are long-standing areas of disagreement, with the Orthodox suspicious of Catholic encroachment on Russia.
Kirill, president of the Russian church's external relations department since 1989, said an agreed text on the two points was nearly reached in 1996 but the Vatican "crossed out very important elements that endangered the whole process."
The metropolitan said the words in any treaty must also be carried out in practice for the situation to improve. "Very often, we sign documents with our brothers from the Vatican and nothing happens," he said.
Still, Kirill said his church does not oppose a papal visit in principle and that high-level Vatican contacts continue.
Kirill said Catholic missionary work violates the spirit of the 1964 ecumenical decree from the bishops of the Second Vatican Council, which recognized Orthodoxy as a sister church and made possible Orthodox-Catholic talks.
If salvation occurs through Orthodoxy, Kirill asked, then why are Catholic churches needed in Orthodox countries?
Addressing Russian politics, Kirill said that a decade ago "the society had reached the edge of civil war" and the church was the only force in a position to prevent it. "God saved us during those difficult times," he said.
He said "there is no civil conflict of that kind any more" and the radical parties of the 1990s are absent in the current parliamentary campaign.
Kirill said Putin deserves much credit for the "stabilization" in Russia.
The metropolitan's first event in the United States was a visit to the World Trade Center site Wednesday morning. He said Russia and the United States share a commitment to combatting terrorism and finding understanding among religions.
"For us in Russia it is very important because the boundary between the Muslim and Christian worlds goes across Russia," he said.
The Russian churchman is in New York for a dialogue sponsored by the Appeal of Conscience Foundation involving diplomats, Israel's new Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger, Vatican United Nations nuncio Archbishop Celestino Migliore, and other Catholic, Jewish, Armenian, Protestant and Muslim leaders.