Pope to Return Icon to Russian Church
Pope John Paul II plans to return a 16th century icon to Russia to try to help thaw frosty relations between the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church, his spokesman said.
The Kazan Madonna, a Russian icon that the Vatican has possessed since the early 20th century, will be handed over to the Moscow patriarch, Alexi II, in August, Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said in Introd, Italy, where the pope is on vacation.
The pope has expressed his wish to visit Russia, but only with the blessing of the patriarch, which has not been given.
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