This was the conclusion of the May 18 Moscow meeting of the Interconfessional Christian Consultative Commission, the only active ecumenical organization in Russia today. Among those presiding were Orthodox Metropolitan Kyrill of Smolensk and Catholic Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz. The main theme for reflection was the evangelization of youth.
The meeting´s final document notes the appeal by young people for greater mutual understanding and collaboration among Christian churches and communities in Russia, as the majority “were educated in conditions of official atheism, materialism or simply indifference toward the faith.”
Representatives of the new Youth Department of the Patriarchate of Moscow were on hand. Also present was Bishop Stanislaw Rylko, secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, who brought greetings from John Paul II and said he hoped to see Catholic laity and youth participate in many initiatives with other Christians in Russia.
