The new Catechism of the Moscow Patriarchate can change the attitude to the question of the primacy of the Bishop of Rome, suggests a German expert on Orthodoxy

The Russian Orthdox Church is planning a new catechism. This Metropolitan Hilarion, the "number two" of the Moscow Patriarchate, reaffirmed a few days ago. Hilarion's Foreign Ministry director of his church, also a commission to develop such a religious textbook. A new catechism is doing so well Not so said the Metropolitan, were detectable after two decades since the fall of communism in Russia too strong tendencies toward secularization of faith. Orthodoxy expert Wyrwoll Nicholas, who heads the Institute for Eastern Churches in Regensburg studies, thinks that a Russian Orthodox catechism from an ecumenical point of view would also highly welcome.

"Especially because it replaces older, outdated representations of faith. Even misrepresentations of Protestant and Catholic theology. Hilarion has to say very carefully and to be as wrong things. Twenty years have been so reprinted (in Russia), many ancient catechisms, which represent partially true, of course, what the Catholic Church has officially said a hundred years ago, but which differs in some cases considerably from what is said today. I think there could be a Russian Orthodox Catechism, which has a certain Offizialität also have an important ecumenical and become involved. "

One of the classic disputes between one part of the Catholic Church and all other Christian churches, especially the Orthodox churches, is the primacy of the Roman bishop. At this point a Russian Orthodox catechism could help to bridge existing divides, believes Wyrwoll.

"The primacy of the pope was in the minds of many believers to faith absolutely. Not only must the true teachings have you - who have the orthodox, and that was never clear through the centuries - but we must be obedient to the Pope. This has indeed led to the churches united with Rome, Christians have suffered much during the Soviet era. Today, however, say the Second Vatican Council and Dominus Iesus, that the recognition of the primacy in its modern form is a criterion for the true faith and of belonging to a real church. The Orthodox, who were a hundred years ago as heretics or schismatics, are true particular churches now as every Catholic diocese. "

The increasing secularization of Russian society, which responds to the planned Catechism, Hilarion makes long-standing concern. Wyrwoll says that inspired the Metropolitan when it comes to evangelization in some way on the inroads of the Catholic Church.

"Hilarion is so often in Rome, was also recently at the Pope and has certainly picked up that even the Vatican is now set up a new dicastery for the new evangelization. And he is an honorary professor at the Theological Faculty of the University of Fribourg. So I guess just coming to him repeatedly that he very pursues what is happening in the West, especially in the Catholic Church. "