A Russian Orthodox Church representative has confirmed its readiness for dialogue with the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the relations with which have soured over its plans to grant an autocephaly to the Ukrainian Church.

Despite all the decisions of the Russian Orthodox Church, the door to dialogue remains open, and the Moscow Patriarchate hopes that at some point the situation would be turned around, Vladimir Legoyda, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for Church, Society and Media Relations, told State Duma members on October 9

The Russian Orthodox Church is watching the Constantinople synod and hopes Christian conscience will prevail there, he said.

“The Synod in Constantinople is beginning work today. We don’t know what will happen, we hope that we will finally see the triumph of common sense and Christian conscience there. We are hoping for that, and we shall see how events evolve,” Legoyda said.