Russian church official reiterates 'no dialogue' with female bishop

Trier, Germany (ENI). The external relations' head of the Moscow Patriarchate has reiterated that Patriarch Kirill I of the Russian Orthodox Church will not take part in meetings with the newly-elected leader of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) as she is a female bishop. "Despite the fact that we do not recognise the Protestant church as a church, there had in the past been meetings between the chairperson of the EKD and the Patriarch. That is not possible anymore. The Patriarch cannot meet a woman bishop," Archbishop Hilarion of Volokolamsk said in an interview with the German weekly magazine, Der Spiegel. [334 words, ENI-09-0992]