Daily Journal:

Relations between Catholics and Orthodox Christians is a topic in which no, no, and the state will get involved. Before the revolution under Peter and Catherine, Catholics were invited to Russia, but they did not have any special rights. After perestroika, Catholics coexist with Orthodox Christians within a single legal field, where all “canonical territories” are an extra-legal concept. However, interchurch relations are precisely the space where these “territories” exist. In the logic of equality of religions, Catholics have exactly the same right to have dioceses in Russia as the Russian Orthodox Church or the Old Believer Church.

What was said by Met. Kirill’s vision of the situation can hardly be called anything other than a “double standard.” He refers to the inconsistency of canonical terminology. But if you look at other Orthodox Churches in Russia, their terminology is the same as that of the Russian Orthodox Church. Let's say there is an Old Believer Patriarchate of Moscow and All Rus', an Old Believer Metropolis of Moscow and All Rus', but this does not cause any complaints from Metropolitan Kirill.

The problem here, as it seems, is that the head of the DECR is trying to think simultaneously within the framework of the logic of ecumenism (“sister churches”, “we have one tradition”) and within the framework of Orthodox canon law, which does not provide for any “sisters” with whom, however, there is no communication.

There can be two solutions here: either refuse to rely on the logic of canon law in resolving legal disputes and rely on the democratic equality of all religions, then you can be friends and have the same dioceses. Or - unite with the Catholic Church and then regulate relations on the basis of general canon law.