Moscow | A top official of the Moscow Patriarchate has lauded the role played by late Pope Francis in developing contacts of Catholics with the Russian Orthodox Church.

Pope Francis died Monday. He was 88.

“Contacts between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church have been developing actively at all levels in recent years, with Pope Francis playing a significant role in this,” Tass news agency quoted Secretary of the Inter-Christian Department of the Moscow Patriarchate Hieromonk Stephan as saying.

The Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox churches are linked to the Byzantine split in 1054 AD and have since been rivals, reflecting the East-West rivalry in politics to this day.

"The parties have interacted on a wide range of issues, including cooperation in the humanitarian sphere. The personality of Pope Francis has had a significant impact on the development of such cooperation," the Russian cleric said, mourning the death of Pope Francis.

Meanwhile, Catholic churches across Russia are holding prayers for the departed Pope, who had addressed them on Easter Sunday.