Christians and Muslims have been peacefully living side by side in Russia for centuries, and the whole world would do wise to emulate it, said His Beatitude.
"Christians and Muslims can make peace between themselves. The Russian Orthodox Church has not the slightest doubt on that point-suffice it to say that Orthodox Christians and Muslims are peaceful neighbours to each other in Russia."
The Patriarch turned to a burning topic-terrorism. "Terror, I am sure, runs counter to the precepts of all established religions in the world. A current wave of extremism and especially terrorism ought to move those religions to make a dialogue between themselves and so overcome the danger which peace between religions is running.
"Extremism certainly brews in particular social situations, so every religious community ought to join hands with the laity and secular authorities together to improve those situations."
Alexis II described a split of Christendom as "tragedy", and appealed for Christians' teamwork in the spirit of love and brotherly respect. "That is the principle destined to make a firm basis for relations between Christian denominations. It specially concerns Orthodox Christians and Roman Catholics," he stressed.
The Patriarch indignantly highlighted active missionarism of the Catholic and Protestant clergy in Russia, and emphatically called to give it up.
"We expect the Roman Catholic Church to U-turn its policies toward Orthodox Christians, and put an end to its deliberate action that can hardly be described as friendly. A full-fledged dialogue between them is out of the question, otherwise," he said.
