IInterview with Metropolitan Hilarion, on the occasion of the Ecumenical Meeting on the family promoted by the Dicastery
At the meeting organized in Rome by the Pontifical Council for the Family together with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Department for External Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, which took place on Wednesday, November 13th, 2013, on the theme: “Orthodox and Catholics Together for the Family”, the guest of honor was His Eminence Hilarion Alfeev, Metropolitan of Volokolamsk, President of the Department for External Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, who is a leading figure in the Orthodox Church and also in Russian culture—among other things, as a distinguished composer of sacred music. Pope Francis met with Metropolitan Hilarion on the day before the encounter, in the morning of Tuesday, November 12th. Emanuela Bambara interviewed him for the Pontifical Council for the Family.
What was the main topic of the meeting with Pope Francis?
«We talked about the situation of Christians in the Middle East, where they are being persecuted, killed or marginalized by society, and about the need for Catholics and Orthodox to work together in defense of the common values of our faith. We have the same stance on many ethical and social issues and also in pastoral work, especially on the issues of life, the family and marriage, and we share a common Christian heritage. We need to discuss the theological differences and work together on common positions. The relations between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Holy See have similar positions, and relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church are developing in the right direction. We are very pleased about this collaboration with the Pontifical Council for the Family, and it is one of the area in which we must move forward in a joint effort to defend Christians who are being persecuted and discriminated against. The family is the urgent question for Christian Churches».
Human life and dignity must be defended from conception to natural death, marriage is a stable union between a man and a woman open to procreation, marital fidelity, and the inter-generational alliance are common values of the Christian Churches. How, in practice, can they be promoted together?
«We need to meet and work together, engage in pastoral work, teach our people and remind believers of what the Biblical concept of the family is and how it differs from the secular conception, recalling that the spiritual values are absolute and not relative, and that, since they are contained in the Holy Scripture, it is not possible to change and alter them without destroying the very identity of the human being. And we must state and attest all of this everywhere together, using all possible instruments, including—indeed, primarily—through the means of mass communication».
Music is an important element of the Christian liturgy. Can it be an instrument of pastoral ministry today? You are also an excellent composer. What influence have your faith and vocation had from an artistic standpoint?
«Music is a universal language, accessible to all, in all cultures, and in all ages. It is the common language, which allows us to transmit and understand ideas and values that cannot be conveyed and seized by words; and, therefore, it is a powerful pastoral tool, especially today, that strengthens prayer and touches the heart of man, which cannot be reached by other means. Today, it is a pastoral precious instrument. For me, there is a direct connection between my faith and vocation and my musical work. I compose sacred music not only for Orthodox texts, but also for texts of the Catholic tradition, in Latin, for example the ‘Stabat Mater’».
How does the Orthodox Church live out the practice of the second “merciful” marriage, and how is it reconciled with the Gospel’s principle of the indissolubility of marriage?
«As for the Catholic Church, even for us there is a single marriage, between a man and a woman, for life. However, in some circumstances a marriage does end. The most obvious natural cause is the death of one spouse, but there are also other causes that determine the end: a betrayal, for example, that the betrayed spouse feels cannot be forgiven; domestic violence inflicted on the wife or the children; situations in which living together is dangerous for the spouse, for example in the case of alcoholism. In those cases, for the injured party, the Orthodox Church provides the possibility of permitting the contraction of a new marriage, according to an economic practice, in order to reestablish a state of equilibrium and justice».
Has a meeting been scheduled between the Holy Father and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia?
«There will be a meeting in neutral territory, not in the Vatican or in Moscow, but the date has not been set. We must prepare this with great care, not from the viewpoint of the protocol but of the content. The announcement of Benedict XVI’s resignation left all of us in Russia in a state of shock, because Pope Ratzinger truly had a positive attitude; so, everyone must pay close attention to Pope Francis’ first steps. He has repeatedly said that he is first and foremost the Bishop of Rome, he has often stressed and encouraged collegiality and synodality, and he is attentive to social issues; he is close to all the people of God, with special consideration for the poor, and we are very happy about what he says in reference to the Orthodox Church. We can collaborate on many fronts».
