Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II met with a senior Vatican envoy Sunday and criticized what he called the Roman Catholic proselytizing in the predominantly Orthodox nation.
Cardinal Walter Kasper, the head of the Roman Catholic Church's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, has been in Moscow since Tuesday seeking to improve relations between the denominations. He is the highest Vatican official to visit Russia in four years.
Alexy again raised one of the Orthodox church's biggest complaints, that the Roman Catholic church is seeking converts among traditionally Orthodox Russians. He criticized the Catholic Church's "direct proselytizing" and its work in Russian orphanages, the ITAR-Tass news agency said.
"You should not think I am anti-Catholic," Alexy said, according to ITAR-Tass. "I worked in the Conference of European Churches for 26 years and I have fraternal relations with many Catholic heirarchs, but I cannot be indifferent to what is happening on the canonical territory of the church I lead."
Alexy also complained about the Vatican's decision in 2002 to upgrade its presence in Russia from informal "apostolic administrations" to full-fledged dioceses, the Interfax news agency said. He called it an "unfriendly step," Interfax said.
The Vatican contends that it has the right to be active in Russia, which had small Catholic communities before the 1917 Revolution. The Roman Catholic Church has sought to recover churches that were seized after the 1917 Russian Revolution, and has drawn followers among Orthodox believers attracted by its social programs and community outreach.
The tension between the two churches has frustrated Pope John Paul II's dream of traveling to Russia. On Sunday, Pope John Paul II said his "indispensable mission" was working to bring unity among Christians.
"Let us pray that the Church, in its variety of cultures, languages and traditions, be unanimous in believing and professing the truth of faith and morals transmitted by the Apostle," the pope said in his traditional weekly greeting to pilgrims in St. Peter's Square. He did not mention the thorny issues with the Orthodox.
Alexy and Kasper met at the patriarch's work residence in Moscow. Before beginning the closed-door discussions, the Vatican's representative in Russia, Archbishop Antonio Mennini, and other members of Kasper's delegation kissed Alexy's hand and asked for his blessing — a traditional Orthodox custom.
No one could be reached to comment at the Russian Orthodox Church or at the Roman Catholic Church's headquarters in Moscow.
On Saturday, the Vatican said it was giving "serious consideration" to Russian Orthodox opposition to its plans to elevate its presence in Ukraine and said both churches had agreed to form a working group to discuss such divisive issues.