Relations between the Roman Catholic and the Russian Orthodox Churches have been rocky for centuries. But amid these difficulties a top Catholic official is visiting Moscow for the first time. The head of the French Catholics was invited by Russia's Patriarch Alexy II.
Catholicism in Russia
Jean-Francois Thiry swapped his native Belgium for Russia more than 15 years ago. A Catholic himself, he heads a cultural centre in Moscow promoting unity among all Christians. It’s a place where Catholic and Orthodox books stand side by side on the bookshelves.
“I think it’s a very big scandal that the church is still divided. Lots of people are not coming to the church because they say: how can I come to a church that is divided? Where is the truth?” wonders Jean-Francois Thiry, Director of “Library Of The Spirit” Cultural …
