Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexei II is scheduled to welcome a Vatican delegation to Moscow on Feb. 16.

Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, will travel to Russia in response to an “invitation of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of the Russian Federation,” according to a statement issued Jan. 22 by Joaquín Navarro-Valls, director of the Vatican press office.

On the eve of that visit, in the first interview to western journalists since 2002, Patriarch Alexei spoke frankly with Register correspondent Greg Watts about the difficulties between Orthodox and Catholics in Russia.

How would you describe relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Vatican at the moment?

Unfortunately relations between the two Churches are not at their best today because the proselytizing activity of the Roman Catholic Church is being carried out in both the territory and in Commonwealth of Independent States countries.

Many missionary orders work in Russia today, especially in the shelters and orphanages, where children who have been baptized in Orthodoxy are being converted to Catholicism.

Why are you so concerned about Catholics in the Ukraine?

Until today the wounds inflicted by Catholics in the western area of Ukraine are not healed. Hundreds of thousands of Orthodox believers are a humiliated minority. The Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine was banned by Stalin and during the post-war period, both those who returned to the Orthodox Church and those who remained uniates received pastoral care in the Orthodox churches in the western Ukraine. Many clergy of the Greek Catholic Church who studied in our seminaries, particularly at the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary and Academy, are serving in the Ukraine today.

When religious freedom came to Russia, including the republics of the former Soviet Union, I think we should have used the principle proposed by Vatican II, which called the Orthodox sister Churches.

Unfortunately, during the past decade nothing has been done for the Orthodox to receive equal rights with Catholics in the western Ukraine.

Are you prepared to discuss a way forward regarding the issue of Catholics in the Ukraine?

The Russian Orthodox Church is ready for dialogue and it's ready for solving the issues that are complicating relations between the two Churches today. But we do not see positive steps on the Vatican's part. It's the opposite. We see a strong move for the see of the archbishop of Lvov to be transferred to Kiev and the creation of a Greek Catholic patriarchate in the Ukraine.

Why have you not met Pope John Paul II?

As a result of the proselytizing that is taking place in the territory of Russia, I have to justify meeting the Pope. If I simply meet with him in front of TV cameras, then there will be no concrete improvement in our relationship. My flock will not understand me. That is why we are saying that such a meeting must be preceeded by concrete steps between our Churches.

Some in the West might say you are anti-Catholic.

Do not think I am anti-Catholic. When I was president of the Council of European Churches I had very good contacts and relations with the European Conference of Roman Catholic bishops. I recall good contacts with Cardinal [Carlo Maria] Martini, Cardinal [Basil] Hume, Cardinal [Roger] Etchegaray and many others. We have no prejudice against the Roman Catholic Church and its hierarchy.

Is there any way to end the deadlock over what you call proselytizing by the Catholic Church?

We proposed the signing of a declaration, or memorandum, that would condemn proselytizing, which should not take place between sister Churches. We could not condemn uniatism because that is a part of the Roman Catholic Church. But we were calling for reiteration of what had already been achieved between Orthodox and Catholics. No matter where and what kind of conflicts arise the duty of the Church is always to step forward as a peacemaking force.

For good Catholic-Orthodox relations surely it is important for regular meetings to take place between Moscow and the Vatican.

We used to have meetings annually between the Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Department for External Church Relations, but unfortunately the agreements that were reached remained on the paper.

For example, one agreement was that the Russian Orthodox Church would be notified in advance of any new structures of the Roman Catholic Church in the canonical territory of Russia. Unfortunately that agreement was on paper only.

Meetings with Cardinal Kasper do take place. He recently had a meeting with the metropolitan in Leningrad. We are ready for any sort of cooperation, and I would like to say that we have very good relations with many dioceses, monasteries and institutions of learning in the Roman Catholic Church.

What does the Catholic Church need to do to repair relations with the Russian Orthodox Church?

It is our profound conviction that there have to be concrete steps. If proselytizing continues and the situation in Ukraine does not improve, then progress will be difficult. We are waiting for concrete gestures and steps on the part of the Vatican.

Greg Watts writes from London.