French Catholic visit to Moscow draws criticism

A group of French Catholics including a bishop has visited Moscow to discuss the defence of the traditional family with Russian Orthodox Church leaders, drawing criticism in France because of the Ukraine crisis and the nature of Church-State relations in Russia, writes Tom Heneghan.

Bayonne Bishop Marc Aillet, who is active in pro-life issues, said these questions were important for the Catholic Church, especially with the synod on the family due in October.

The group met Metropolitan Hilarion, the “foreign minister” of the Moscow Patriarchate, along with members of the Russian Church’s commission on the family and Russian parliamentarians. Bishop Aillet said Hilarion was particularly interested in the “Demo for All” protests in France against gay marriage and adoption.

The six-member group included leaders of pro-life groups Alliance Vita, one of the pillars of the protest movement, and the Fondation Jérôme Lejeune. Aillet stressed it was not an official delegation of the French Church.

Bishop Aillet said the group did not bring up the Ukraine crisis with Hilarion, but discussed the fate of Syria’s Christians, of Armenians he said were recently killed by Islamists, and “the ultra-liberalism of the West that affects and also frightens Russia”.

Denis Viénot, secretary general of the bishops’ conference’s Justice and Peace commission, said he was astonished to hear the group had gone to Russia at this time. “If they think Russia protects the human person, they should go visit Crimea,” he told the daily La Croix.