Basic Principles of the Attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church toward the Other Christian Confessions

This bilingual English-Chinese document outlines the principles, by which the Russian Orthodox Church is guided in its inter-Christian communication. His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II says, "It is impossible to exist in the modern world in complete isolation: it is necessary to establish a wide-ranging Christian cooperation in the theologian, educational, social, cultural, peacemaking, diaconic, and other fields of church life. It does not suffice to just state that the Orthodox Church is the receptacle of Revelation fullness. We have to manifest it by our own deeds setting an example of how the apostolic faith kept by the Orthodox Church transforms the minds and hearts of people and improves the surrounding world. If we do really and not falsely grieve over our separated brothers, then we have a moral duty to meet with them and seek mutual understanding."