CCBI News

Archbishop Mennini Headed to Great Britain
MOSCOW, JAN. 27, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church is thanking a Vatican representative for his work in improving Orthodox-Catholic relations.  Patriarch Kirill expressed his gratitude as he bid farewell to Archbishop Antonio Mennini, who was named last month the apostolic nuncio to Great Britain. The archbishop served in Russia since Pope John Paul II sent him there in 2002.

The Russian Interfax agency reported that Kirill and the archbishop said their farewells at a meeting in Moscow. Patriarch Kirill emphasized the archbishop`s "personal contribution in settling difficult problems in relations between our Churches."  "With God`s mercy," he added, "these problems are being positively settled, which changes the climate of the bilateral relations for the better." This, the patriarch asserted, "is, in many respects, your achievement as a plenipotentiary representative of the Holy See." Archbishop Mennini also expressed his gratitude to the patriarch for his support over the years. "I`ve been glad to work for the welfare of our Churches, but this work would have been much more complicated without your support, friendly attitude and Christian love," the nuncio affirmed.