On 20 November 2003 the Archbishop of Turku and All Finland Jukka Paarma and the delegation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland visited the Representation of the Russian Orthodox Church to the European Institutions in Brussels . The delegation included: Secretary General of the Cabinet of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland Risto Junttila; Church Councellor Risto Cantell, member of the Department of International Relations; Notary Gunnar Grönblom, member of the CEC-Executive from the Church and Commission Society; Church Councellor Matti Halttunen from the Administration and Legal Affairs Department; Church Councellor Seppo Häkkinen from the Department for Parish Services; secretary of the Archbishop, Rev. Heikki Jääskeläinen; contact person on EU-issues in Brussels, journalist Iiris Kivimäki; legal advisor Lena Kumlin, EU-legislation; Secretary of the Church Council, Legal Advisor Katri Kuuskoski; Director of Communications Ingmar Lindqvist; and head of EU Consultation service, Rev. Kimmo Saares from the Church Resources Agency.

In the Church of the Holy Trinity the Archbishop and his delegation were greeted by the Representative of the Russian Orthodox Church to the European Institutions Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria (see the text of his welcome address below). In his response Archbishop Jukka Paarma thanked Bishop Hilarion for the opportunity to exchange views on the questions related to the role of Christianity in Europe .

An open discussion followed, during which Bishop Hilarion responded to the questions of the Archbishop and members of his delegation. The Secretary of the Representation of the Russian Orthodox Church to the European Institutions Priest Anthony Ilyin, and members of the Representation Hierodeacon Alexander (Siniakov) and Dmitri Ageev were present during the discussion.

At the end of the meeting a copy of the Finnish edition of Bishop Hilarion's book ‘The Mystery of Faith' was presented to Archbishop Jukka Paarma to commemorate his visit to the Russian Orthodox Representation in Brussels.

Welcome address by the Representative of the Russian Orthodox Church to the European Institutions Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria to the Arhcbishop of Turku and All Finland Jukka Paarma and members of the delegation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland

Most Reverend Archbishop Jukka Paarma!

Dear members of the delegation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland!

It is a great honour and great joy for me to welcome you in the Representation of the Russian Orthodox Church to the European Institutions.

The decision to create this Representation was taken by the Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate in July 2002, and the Representation began to function at the end of October last year. During the year 2003 we welcomed here several distinguished guests, among whom Her Majesty Queen Paola of the Belgians, who visited our church on the 19 th of January, and the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Igor Ivanov, who was our guest on the 10 th of July. You are, however, the first head of church received here, and we are delighted to be able to have this meeting, which I hope will be fruitful and mutually enriching. I look forward to our deliberations on the future of Europe and on the role that the churches and religious communities may play in it.

Here in Brussels representatives of different churches work together to ensure a successful dialogue between Christianity and the European Institutions. Four Orthodox Representations – of the Churches of Constantinople, Russia, Romania and Greece – collaborate fruitfully with the Representations of COMECE and CEC, as well as with various offices of European Protestant Churches, including the office of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.

There are many things that we, representatives of various Christian churches, have in common and many concerns that we share. We all believe that in a new Europe, which is now being shaped, an ample space should be created for churches and religious communities in order for them to be able to organise themselves, to live and act according to their own statutes and centuries-old traditions. We all believe that religious heritage of Europe must be duly recognized in the European Constitution. Sometimes we differ in our understanding of what this recognition should entail, that is, whether Christianity alone should be mentioned in the Constitution, or Christianity together with other traditional religions, such as Judaism and Islam, should be referred to (this is be the position supported by our Church), or no particular religion should be named. But we are united in our common concern that religion in general and Christianity in particular must not be marginalized in Europe 's search for its future identity.

The Russian Orthodox Church, which is present in the European Union through several dioceses, hundreds of parishes and hundreds of thousands of believers, maintains that only that Europe will be a true home for all religious communities in which their identities are recognized and respected. Our Church has the vision of a Europe based on true pluralism, a Europe where the diversity of cultural, spiritual and religious traditions is fully represented. This diversity must be reflected also in the European Constitution. If the Constitution is based exclusively on the principles ingrained in Western secular humanism, with its particular understanding of peace, tolerance, freedom, justice, respect for human rights etc., it risks not to be accepted by a large portion of the European population, notably by those who, by virtue of belonging to a particular religious tradition, have a different vision of the same principles.

We believe also that Western liberal standards must not be imposed unconditionally on churches and religious communities. Thus, for example, if a particular church does not accept women priesthood, no pressure should be applied to this church in order to change its traditional standpoint. If a particular church condemns homosexual practices as sinful and contradicting the Gospel, this church should not be accused of promoting the spirit of intolerance. There are many other areas in which churches' traditions will differ from Western liberal standards, and in all these areas the right of the churches to preserve their values must be secured.

To give you but one example of such difference, let me allude to the dispute over the status of Mount Athos, a semi-autonomous all-male monastic peninsula in northern Greece , which has for ten centuries barred the entry of women. In January 2003 the European Parliament recommended that the Greek government lifts the ban on women's access to the peninsula on the ground that this ban ‘nowadays violates the universally recognised principle of gender equality, community non-discrimination and equality legislation and the provisions relating to free movement of persons within the EU'. Commenting on this recommendation, the Greek Minister of Culture Evangelos Venizelos alluded to the status of the Roman Catholic Church, while the Vatican, although being a member of the Council of Europe as a state, is represented solely by men and the European Union accepted a close relationship with that state: ‘The ban on women at Mount Athos and the regulations of administration of the Catholic Church, as well as that of other churches and all similar issues', added Venizelos, ‘are elements of a tradition which the EU should confront with tolerance and a pluralistic attitude which characterizes European civilization'.

The principles of respect, tolerance, non-discrimination and equality must be mutually accepted by the European political milieu and the world of religion in their relationship with one another. You cannot expect religious communities to comply with commonly accepted secular standards without providing them with the opportunity to safeguard their integrity. This is an area of special concern for our Representation, and we are constantly involved in dialogue with the European Institutions regarding that.

Dear Archbishop Jukka Paarma! May I wish you and the entire delegation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland a successful continuation of your stay in Brussels and a happy return to your homeland. May the Lord assist you in your future ministry to your church and to the people of Finland.