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Russian cleric explains reaction to German church's female head

Meetings to celebrate 50 years of dialogue between Russian Orthodox and German Protestant churches have been cancelled following a dispute over the election of a woman as Germany's senior Protestant leader, a Russian church official has said, reports Ecumenical News International.

The cancellation of the meetings planned for Berlin on 30 November and Moscow on 8 December came after remarks by Archbishop Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairperson of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department of External Church Relations, triggering speculation on what they really mean.

Archbishop Hilarion had on 11 November said Bishop Margot Kässmann's election as chairperson of the council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) meant that the 50th anniversary event might mark "the end of dialogue" in its current form between the churches. He stated this was for reasons ranging from theology to protocol.

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TAGS: Russia Russian Orthodox Church German Protestant church women priests Archbishop Hilarion Bishop Margot Kässmann

[11/30/2009]

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