Alexander Galkin, Ph.D. in Biology Independent scholar (Saint Petersburg)
pp. 226–247
DOI: 10.25803/SFI.2020.35.3.011
Metropolitan Nikodemus (Rotov), who headed the Leningrad Diocese in 1963–1978, was at the same time chairman of the Holy Synod Commission on Christian Unity (since August 3, 1963; since May 30, 1972 he headed the Commission on Christian Unity and Interchurch Relations). The Metropolitan made his cathedral city widely open to church delegations, not only for all those from over the Orthodox world, but also for other Christian confessions. In those years, for the sake of establishing and deepening fraternal inter-confessional relations and for
participating in theological interlocutions, Leningrad was visited by Catholic Bishop Johannes Willebrands (Cardinal and Chairman of the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity since 1969) and Archbishop Martti Simojoki, head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. By building and strengthening business and personal ties with high hierarchs of different confessions,
Metropolitan Nicodemus sought to get the most out of such contacts for his native Church and for the Leningrad Theological Academy.
Keywords: Leningrad Theological Academy, Metropolitan Nikodemus (Rotov), Cardinal Johannes Willebrands, Archbishop Martti Simojoki, theological interlocutions.