Showing posts with label Ecumenism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ecumenism. Show all posts
12 May 2018
13th May 2018 - Exploring ecumenism - Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
You can listen to the podcast of this weeks full programme HERE.
Exploring Ecumenism with Fr Martin Browne OSB
Fr Martin Browne OSB introduces our listeners this week to ecumenism. For Catholics, the word ecumenism refers to all of the activities and initiatives of the Church and her members to promote mutual understanding and, ultimately, unity among all Christians. Inter-religious dialogue is the dialogue between different faiths such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism etc.
Fr Martin takes us through the journey for the search for Christian unity in the 20th century and how christian's of all denominations have taken up the prayer of Jesus at the Last Supper that we " may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me." and reminds us that unity has to start with each one of us genuinely seeking it in prayer before the Lord.
You can listen to Fr Martin's interview excerpted from the main programme HERE.
Information on ecumenism:
- Decree on Ecumenism of the Second Vatican Council
Gospel - Mark 16:15-20 - The Ascension of the Lord
And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the good news* to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.’
So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied itReflections on this weeks gospel:
Word on Fire - reflections on the Ascension from WoF
Sunday Reflections
English Dominicans
Centre for Liturgy
The Ascension of Jesus is the Christian teaching found in the New Testament when the resurrected Jesus was taken up to heaven in his resurrected body, in the presence of eleven of his apostles, occurring 40 days after the resurrection. An angel told the watching disciples that Jesus' second coming would take place in the same manner as his ascension. The Ascension of Jesus is professed in the Nicene Creed and in the Apostles' Creed. The Ascension implies Jesus' humanity being taken into heaven. The familiar account of Jesus ascending bodily into the clouds is given fully only in the Acts of the Apostles, but is briefly described also in the Gospel of Luke (often considered to be by the same author) at 24:50–53 and in the ending of Mark 16 at 16:19
In Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox theology, the Ascension is interpreted as the culmination of the Mystery of the Incarnation, in that it not only marked the completion of Jesus' physical presence among his apostles, but consummated the union of God and man when Jesus ascended in his glorified human body to sit at the right hand of God the Father. The Ascension and the Transfiguration both figure prominently in the Orthodox doctrine of theosis. The bodily Ascension into heaven is also understood as the final token of Christ's two natures: divine and human.
The Catholic Catechism summarizes three important theological aspects (with which most Christian churches agree) of the Ascension concisely:
- Christ's Ascension marks the definitive entrance of Jesus' humanity into God's heavenly domain, whence he will come again (cf. Acts 1:11); this humanity in the meantime hides him from the eyes of men (cf. Col 3:3).
- Jesus Christ, the head of the Church, precedes us into the Father's glorious kingdom so that we, the members of his Body, may live in the hope of one day being with him for ever.
- Jesus Christ, having entered the sanctuary of heaven once and for all, intercedes constantly for us as the mediator who assures us of the permanent outpouring of the Holy Spirit (665-667).
Liturgical odds & ends
Liturgy of the Hours - Psalter week 3; 7th week of Easter
Saints of the Week
May 14th - St Matthias (Apostle)
May 15th - St Carthage
May 16th - St Brendan the Navigator
May 17th - St Madron of Cornwall
May 18th - St John I
May 19th - St Celestine V
31 Mar 2018
Easter Message of the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem 2018
We, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, jointly send our Easter greetings and joyful proclamation of the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour to all people everywhere. From Jerusalem, the place where Christ was raised from the dead, we offer our blessings to the faithful who are celebrating the Feast of the Resurrection at this blessed time.
For over two millennia pilgrims have been following the footsteps of Jesus and streaming to Jerusalem to behold the empty tomb. The Resurrection of our Lord was an historic event which encompassed the whole cosmic order and renewed the face of the entire creation. This is the time where the Christian Family worldwide remembers God’s redeeming work in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jerusalem, the City of Hope and the Resurrection, remains a sacred symbol of God’s salvation and a reflection of the heavenly Jerusalem that is yet to come. In fact this sacred, communal, and spiritual character of Jerusalem continues to be a beacon for hope, peace, and life for the people of this region and the entire world. We pray that we here in the Holy Land may continue unhindered to fulfil our sacred duty as manifestations of the living Gospel to serve the poor, seek justice and walk in the light and love of the risen Christ.
The Holy Gospel tells us that before Jesus Christ ascended to joy he suffered pain, and before entering into glory he was crucified. We pray to almighty God that people who are walking in the way of the cross may find it the way of hope, peace, and life. We hold in our prayers all those who are suffering in our region and throughout the world, and also, all those who are suffering in silence; for refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced people, for those who live under oppression, for those in want and deprivation, for all victims of violence and discrimination, and for all who strive for justice and reconciliation.
The Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead is a constant reminder that the powers of evil and death will not overcome life, instead life has victory over death and darkness. God has reconciled us to Himself in Jesus Christ and called us to the ministry of reconciliation. May the risen Lord strengthen us with His Holy Spirit in order to go forth in his risen life to love and serve and bring the good news to all.
Christ is risen. Alleluia! He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+Patriarch Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate
+Patriarch Nourhan Manougian, Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Patriarchate
+Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Apostolic Administrator, Latin Patriarchate
+Fr. Francesco Patton, ofm, Custos of the Holy Land
+Archbishop Anba Antonious, Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate, Jerusalem
+Archbishop Swerios Malki Murad, Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate
+Archbishop Aba Embakob, Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarchate
+Archbishop Yaser AL-Ayyash, Greek-Melkite-Catholic Patriarchate
+Archbishop Mosa El-Hage, Maronite Patriarchal Exarchate
+Archbishop Suheil Dawani, Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and the Middle East
+Bishop Ibrahim Sani Azar, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land
+Bishop Pierre Malki, Syrian Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate
+Most Rev. Krikor-Okosdinos Coussa, Armenian Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate
5 Nov 2017
500 years after the Reformation - commemorating, learning, journeying together - Bishop Leahy reflects
November 1st marked 500 years since Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on a church door in Wittenberg, Germany - the start of the Reformation movement.
In a letter read at all Masses on the weekend of October 28/29th, Bishop Brendan remarked:
... We now know that the era Martin Luther lived in was enormously complex – socially, politically and religiously. We need to recognise he wanted to renew the Church not divide her. 500 years of history since then have seen many tragic consequences. But, as Pope Francis, reminded us on another occasion earlier this year, while the past cannot be changed, it is possible to engage in a “purification of memory”, and so “tell that history differently”. As we commemorate the Reformation, I would like to suggest that there are three points we can take away for reflection this weekend. ...
You can read the three points, and the letter, in full HERE
Bishop Brendan, writing in the November edition of Intercom Magazine:
'Today the Catholic Church is focusing again on reform, so it is helpful to look at what Luther said, much of which was eventually echoed in the Second Vatican Council. As Pope Francis reminds us, there is value in learning from others, perceiving how the Holy Spirit is at work in their experience, which may be very different to our own.'
You can read the full article in Intercom Magazine here: www.intercommagazine.ie/luther-god-and-church-renewal/
Bishop Brendan Leahy and Bishop Kenneth Kearon, Chuch of Ireland, were also speaking on Limericks Live95fm radio on Nov 1st. A very interesting conversation, reflecting on Halloween, All Saints Day, the Catholic and Church of Ireland diocese' in Limerick and how our churches have prayed, learnt and work together today. Click below to listen in:
28 May 2017
Thousands venerate the relics of St Nicholas during visit to Russia
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| St Nicholas 15th century icon in Russian style |
Huge crowds of believers, both Catholics and Russian Orthodox, are expected to venerate the relics. The historic move follows talks between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill.
After reaching Moscow's Vnukovo airport, a glass-topped metallic ark bearing the relics was visited by a long stream of Russian pilgrims who bowed and kissed the container.
It was taken to Christ the Savior Cathedral, the enormous Moscow church that is a reconstruction of a cathedral dynamited in 1931 by officially atheistic Soviet authorities.
Earlier, the relics of Saint Nicholas were brought into the crypt of the Saint Nicholas Basilica in Bari, Italy, before their 3,000 kilometer-long journey to Moscow. It marks the first time in some 10 centuries that the [major relics] of the man who became the inspiration of the legendary figure of Santa Claus were moved from their resting place.
In Moscow churches rang their bells on Sunday to mark the relics arrival. They were sent to Russia after last year's agreement between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill during the first meeting of the heads of the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches.
The 4th-Century Saint Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra, now the Turkish city of Demre. After his death, Italian merchants brought his body from Myra, in modern-day Turkey, to Italy.
The relics are to be displayed in Moscow's Christ the Savior cathedral until mid-June. They will then be moved to St. Petersburg, Russia's second largest city, before being returned to Bari on July 12.
Both cities are expecting huge crowds of believers to visit the relics, and the Moscow patriarchate has already described it as "an unprecedented event."
It is also appreciated by Russian President Vladimir Putin who keeps close ties with the Russian Orthodox Church. He already visited the St. Nicholas relics in Bari in 2007 and has visited the relics.
Vatican Radio - Major relics of St Nicholas visit Russia
Shrine with particle of holy relics of St Nicholas the Wonderworker brought to Russia
Tass - 930 years of waiting: fragment of St Nicholas’s relics to arrive to Russia from Italy
Reuters - Thousands throng to bow to St Nicholas relics in Moscow
BBC - Why St Nicholas works wonders for Russians
16 Apr 2017
Paschal Message of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow And All Russia
Paschal Message of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow And All Russia
to the Archpastors, Pastors, Deacons, Monks and Nuns
and All the Faithful Children of the Russian Orthodox Church
Your Graces the archpastors, all-honourable priests,
God-loving monks and nuns, dear brothers and sisters:
CHRIST IS RISEN!
With these joyous and life-affirming words I greet you, my beloved, from the depths of my heart and congratulate you all on the great and saving feast of Pascha.
The Church calls this day ‘the feast of feasts and the festival of festivals’ through the lips of one of her great ecumenical teachers, St. Gregory the Theologian. Herein is contained a profound spiritual meaning, for ‘Pascha is as far exalted above all – not only those which are merely human and crawl on the ground but also those which are of Christ himself and are celebrated in for him – as the sun is exalted above the stars’ (Oration 45: On Holy Pascha). The glorious resurrection of the Lord Jesus, which has become the most important event in the history of the salvation of the human race, contains the very meaning and profound essence of our faith, the heart and mighty power of the Christian message to the world. In these days what we preach may be encapsulated in these three words: Christ is risen! ‘In saying this, what more can I say? All has been said!’ proclaims St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow (Homily for Holy Pascha, 18 April 1826).
Easter Message of the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem 2017
We, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, join together in proclaiming the triumphant victory of our risen Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ from the dead. The message of Easter, which was first announced in Jerusalem, and has echoed down the centuries, now resounds again in Jerusalem, the city of the Resurrection.
This year we have witnessed the restoration of the Holy Aedicule in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, two centuries after the last renovation, and almost one hundred years after steel girders were installed to support it. The completion of this challenging work is testament to the support from around the globe involved in the project, and to thank them for their prayers and support.
The service to celebrate the unveiling of the restored Holy Aedicule was a testimony to our spirit of Ecumenism and a celebration of our unity in Christ. We stood together, as one body, one voice, around the empty tomb. We stood as Christians united in offering hope, perseverance and determination to transform this world under the banner of Christ who conquered all evil through his Resurrection. The sacred history of Jerusalem, and particularly of the Holy Sepulchre, is a constant reminder for the whole world that in this place and at a certain time, the Resurrection was proclaimed for all people and for all time. The Resurrection inspires a resolute steadfastness in the living stones (local Christians) as living witnesses in the Holy Land.
It is our prayer that the hope established through our risen Lord will enlighten the leaders and nations of the whole world to see this light, and to perceive new opportunities to work and strive for the common good and recognize all as created equal before God. This light of Christ draws the whole human family towards justice, reconciliation and peace, and to pursue it diligently. It draws us all to be unified and to be at harmony with one another. The power and resonance of the Resurrection permeates all suffering, injustice and alienation, bringing forth hope, light and life to all.
Through the Resurrection and the empty tomb, we need to remember that pain, suffering, and death do not have the final word, it is God – who has the first word, and the last. This was the message of the Easter angel, who challenged the first disciples – both women and men – “Why do you look for the living among the dead? [Jesus] is not here, but has risen” (Luke 24.5).
Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
(Easter 2017)
+Patriarch Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate
+Patriarch Nourhan Manougian, Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Patriarchate
+Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Apostolic Administrator, Latin Patriarchate
+Fr. Francesco Patton, ofm, Custos of the Holy Land
+Archbishop Anba Antonious, Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate, Jerusalem
+Archbishop Swerios Malki Murad, Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate
+Archbishop Aba Embakob, Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarchate
+Archbishop Joseph-Jules Zerey, Greek-Melkite-Catholic Patriarchate
+Archbishop Mosa El-Hage, Maronite Patriarchal Exarchate
+Archbishop Suheil Dawani, Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and the Middle East
+Bishop Munib Younan, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land
+Bishop Pierre Malki, Syrian Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate
+Msgr. Georges Dankaye’, Armenian Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate
20 Jun 2016
Pan-Orthodox Holy & Great Council -Opening Divine Liturgy for Pentecost and Day 1
Pope Francis on Sunday urged Catholics to pray for the Orthodox leaders from around the world who are holding their ‘Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church’ on the Greek island of Crete.
As chairman of the Council, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on Sunday presided at a Divine Liturgy in the Metropolitan Church of St Minas in the capital Heraklion, to officially open the week long meeting. Observers from other Christian Churches, including a Vatican delegation headed by Cardinal Kurt Koch of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, are also in Crete and are due to attend the first session of the Council on Monday.
Speaking after the Angelus prayer to thousands of pilgrims and visitors gathered in St Peter’s Square, Pope Francis noted that the Orthodox Church this Sunday marks the solemnity of Pentecost. "Let us unite ourselves in prayer with our Orthodox brothers", the Pope said, calling on the Holy Spirit to send "his gifts on the patriarchs, archbishops and bishops gathered at the Council".
Pope Francis then led the crowd in the recitation of the Ave Maria, praying for all Orthodox Christians as their leaders meet to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing the world community today.
Pentecost Sunday in Crete:
Homily by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Chairman of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church at the Concelebration of the Divine Liturgy in the Metropolitan Church of St. Minas in Heraklion, Crete With Their Beatitudes the Primates of the Holy Orthodox Churches
Photos of the opening Divine Liturgy
Video Report on Day 1:
13 Feb 2016
Joint Declaration of Pope Francis & Patriarch Kirill
As a part of their meeting, they signed a joint declaration. Below are 14 key points:
1) They met “like brothers in the Christian faith”
It is with joy that we have met like brothers in the Christian faith who encounter one another “to speak face to face” (2 Jn 12), from heart to heart, to discuss the mutual relations between the Churches, the crucial problems of our faithful, and the outlook for the progress of human civilization.
2) They met “far from the longstanding disputes of the “Old World””
By meeting far from the longstanding disputes of the “Old World”, we experience with a particular sense of urgency the need for the shared labour of Catholics and Orthodox, who are called, with gentleness and respect, to give an explanation to the world of the hope in us (cf. 1 Pet 3:15).
3) They are “pained” by disunity
We are pained by the loss of unity, the outcome of human weakness and of sin, which has occurred despite the priestly prayer of Christ the Saviour: “So that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you … so that they may be one, as we are one” (Jn 17:21).
4) They hope their meeting will inspire others to continue working for unity
Mindful of the permanence of many obstacles, it is our hope that our meeting may contribute to the re–establishment of this unity willed by God, for which Christ prayed. May our meeting inspire Christians throughout the world to pray to the Lord with renewed fervour for the full unity of all His disciples. In a world which yearns not only for our words but also for tangible gestures, may this meeting be a sign of hope for all people of goodwill!
5) They call on international community to stop persecution of Christians in the Middle East
In many countries of the Middle East and North Africa whole families, villages and cities of our brothers and sisters in Christ are being completely exterminated. Their churches are being barbarously ravaged and looted, their sacred objects profaned, their monuments destroyed. It is with pain that we call to mind the situation in Syria, Iraq and other countries of the Middle East, and the massive exodus of Christians from the land in which our faith was first disseminated and in which they have lived since the time of the Apostles, together with other religious communities. We call upon the international community to act urgently in order to prevent the further expulsion of Christians from the Middle East.
6) They call on Christians to pray there won’t be a World War III
We exhort all Christians and all believers of God to pray fervently to the providential Creator of the world to protect His creation from destruction and not permit a new world war.
7) They honor the sacrifice of Christian martyrs
We bow before the martyrdom of those who, at the cost of their own lives, have given witness to the truth of the Gospel, preferring death to the denial of Christ. We believe that these martyrs of our times, who belong to various Churches but who are united by their shared suffering, are a pledge of the unity of Christians.
8) Criminal acts in the name of God are “unacceptable”
Attempts to justify criminal acts with religious slogans are altogether unacceptable. No crime may be committed in God’s name, “since God is not the God of disorder but of peace” (1 Cor 14:33).
9) They are concerned about threats to religious freedom throughout the world
[W]e are concerned about the situation in many countries in which Christians are increasingly confronted by restrictions to religious freedom, to the right to witness to one’s convictions and to live in conformity with them.
10) They call on Europe to remain faithful to her Christian roots
While remaining open to the contribution of other religions to our civilization, it is our conviction that Europe must remain faithful to its Christian roots. We call upon Christians of Eastern and Western Europe to unite in their shared witness to Christ and the Gospel, so that Europe may preserve its soul, shaped by two thousand years of Christian tradition.
11) The family, built on the marriage between a man and woman, is the basis of society
The family is the natural centre of human life and society. We are concerned about the crisis in the family in many countries. Orthodox and Catholics share the same conception of the family, and are called to witness that it is a path of holiness, testifying to the faithfulness of the spouses in their mutual interaction, to their openness to the procreation and rearing of their children, to solidarity between the generations and to respect for the weakest. The family is based on marriage, an act of freely given and faithful love between a man and a woman. It is love that seals their union and teaches them to accept one another as a gift. Marriage is a school of love and faithfulness. We regret that other forms of cohabitation have been placed on the same level as this union, while the concept, consecrated in the biblical tradition, of paternity and maternity as the distinct vocation of man and woman in marriage is being banished from the public conscience.
12) They call for the protection of all life, especially the unborn and the disabled
We call on all to respect the inalienable right to life. Millions are denied the very right to be born into the world. The blood of the unborn cries out to God (cf. Gen 4:10). The emergence of so-called euthanasia leads elderly people and the disabled begin to feel that they are a burden on their families and on society in general.
13) They reject “uniatism”
It is our hope that our meeting may also contribute to reconciliation wherever tensions exist between Greek Catholics and Orthodox. It is today clear that the past method of “uniatism”, understood as the union of one community to the other, separating it from its Church, is not the way to re–establish unity. Nonetheless, the ecclesial communities which emerged in these historical circumstances have the right to exist and to undertake all that is necessary to meet the spiritual needs of their faithful, while seeking to live in peace with their neighbours. Orthodox and Greek Catholics are in need of reconciliation and of mutually acceptable forms of co–existence.
14) They both seek the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary
With grace–filled gratitude for the gift of mutual understanding manifested during our meeting, let us with hope turn to the Most Holy Mother of God, invoking her with the words of this ancient prayer: “We seek refuge under the protection of your mercy, Holy Mother of God”. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, through her intercession, inspire fraternity in all those who venerate her, so that they may be reunited, in God’s own time, in the peace and harmony of the one people of God, for the glory of the Most Holy and indivisible Trinity!
The full text of the Joint Declaration is available below:
Pope and Patriarch call for an end to terrorism and persecution of Christians - UPDATED
The appeal came in a Joint Declaration which the two leaders signed at the end of a two hour private conversation at Havana airport, signaling the start of a new era of relations between Catholics and the Russian Orthodox Church.
Listen to Philippa Hitchen's report for Vatican Radio HERE.
Speaking en route to Mexico the Pope said that he and the Patriarch spoke about their respective Churches, the situation in the world, wars, orthodoxy and also the next pan-orthodox Synod. He added that he really felt, “an inner joy that came from the Lord”.
The Pope reaffirmed the freedom that was felt during the meeting which included the presence of Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, Metropolitan Hilarion and two interpreters.
Pope Francis also said that “possible activities in common” has been talked about, adding that “unity is a walk together.”
Commenting on the joint declaration signed after the encounter, the Holy Father stressed “it was a pastoral and not a sociological declaration.” The Pope said it was “pastoral" in the sense that it was “two bishops meeting about pastoral concerns.”.
UPDATES
Pope Francis: The Return of Ostpolitik
The Pope and the Patriarch: Something More Than Politics
Francis and Kirill: Who Played Whom? – Adam A.J. DeVille, The Catholic World Report
The Vatican Did Everything to Accommodate Patriarch Kirill, Received Little – Fr. Mark DrewHis Beatitude Sviatoslav Unhappy in Joint Declaration; Vatican Is “Weaker Team” – C.E. OlsonPope Francis: The Return of Ostpolitik – Andrea Gagliarducci, Monday Vatican
The Pope, the Patriarch, and the Pan-Orthodox Council – Edward Pentin, N.C. Register
Five Insights About Today’s Pope Francis-Patriarch Kirill Meeting – Victor Gaetan, RegisterCorrecting N.P.R. on the Differences Between Catholics and Eastern Orthodox – Trent HornEastern Orthodox Cacophony in America – Peter Berger, The American InterestThe Byzantine Rite, Jesus, Zacchaeus & Mercy – Kevin Bezner, The Christian Review
Seven Thoughts on the "Joint Declaration of Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill" - Catholic World Report
The Havana Declaration - First Things
12 Feb 2016
Pope Francis meets Patriarch Kirill
For the first time, a Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Pope meet. Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill have met in a private room in Cuba's Jose Marti airport. With help of two translators, they have come a step closer. The meeting has been two years in the making.
Before anything else, as no shortage of coverage elsewhere over the last week has shown a staggering depth of ignorance, one thing apparently bears clarifying: in the historic context of today's first-ever meeting between the Pope of Rome and the Patriarch of Moscow, any mention of "a 1,000 year-old split" would be enough to flunk the exam on what all this means.Some back ground and analysis:
To be sure, this afternoon's encounter in Cuba between Francis and Kirill I is a deeply significant moment, but its resonance lies far more on the geopolitical plane than a theological one. Even if religion and politics are often conflated and confused for each other these days, the distinction is critical – and as the historical sketch seems necessary, well, let's try to make it quick.
In essence, Christianity in modern-day Russia was barely at its inception at the time of the East-West Schism of 1054, when the mutual excommunications were levied between the Pope of Rome and the Patriarch of Constantinople – of course, the respective successors of the apostles Peter and Andrew. By contrast, the en masse baptism of the Kievan Rus (the precursors of the future empire, based in what's now Ukraine) took place less than seven decades earlier, in 988; a patriarchate at Moscow wasn't established until the late 1500s, and the rise of the Russian church as a major player beyond its borders roughly coincided with the empire-building which progressed from that period, culminating in Peter the Great's turn toward Europe a century later.
Fast-forwarding into the present (and away from Moscow), the lifting of the Catholic-Orthodox excommunications in 1965 by now-Blessed Paul Paul VI and the Ecumenical (read: "universal") Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople paved the way toward today's ongoing East-West dialogue, an international effort which has grown past cooperation on common social causes to broach theological and ecclesiological questions – the shape of papal primacy now among them – with an eye to resolving what the most recent joint text has termed "the search for full communion." Yet as modern Constantinople merely enjoys "first among equals" status among the world's 14 autocephalous (self-governing) Orthodox churches, the participation of the others has sometimes been a matter of fits and starts. Nevertheless, most of the lead Eastern bodies are already at the table with Rome.
Today, however, is a different animal: while Moscow has aimed to bill a shared concern over Christian persecution in the Middle East as the catalyst for the meeting its hardline faction has long resisted, with a "Great and Holy Council" of global Orthodoxy's broad swath of branches – the first gathering of its kind in some eight centuries – set to convene in June amid the groups' usual thicket of rivalry and intrigue, the largest, most forceful (and, indeed, most politically consequential) of the Eastern churches gets to showcase its clout by commanding the world's attention as its leader sits down with the Pope on what're essentially the Russians' terms.
All that said, lest any illusions exist of Moscow somehow eclipsing Constantinople's place at the wheel of Catholic-Orthodox relations – or, for that matter, any significant reshaping of the Eastern dialogue at the expense of Rome's longtime partners in it – think again... or, if nothing else, just don't hold your breath.
Pope Francis to Patriarch Kirill: ‘We Are Brothers’
Four reasons why Pope Francis will meet with Patriarch Kirill
Francis and Kirill: Meeting in Cuba a Continuation of Petrine Outreach
Pope and Patriarch to sow seeds of reconciliation between Moscow and Rome
As pope and Russian patriarch meet, Ukraine fears a ‘shaky’ Vatican
Why Pope Francis Agreed to Meet the Russian Patriarch in Havana
Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Leader Will Meet to Utter ‘Mutual Cry for Peace’
First Things - Pope Francis & Patriarch Kirill
5 Feb 2016
Historic! First meeting scheduled between Pope Francis and Patriach Kirill of Moscow
(Vatican Radio) It was announced on Friday that Pope Francis will hold a meeting with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia in Cuba on February 12th. It marks the first ever such meeting between a Roman Pontiff and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.
(NCR) After years of speculation, for the first time in history the Successor of Peter and the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church will meet on February 12, the Vatican announced today.
The meeting will take place in Cuba where Patriarch Kirill will be making an official visit. Pope Francis will make a brief stop in Havana on his way to Mexico.
The Vatican said the historic meeting "will mark an important stage in relations between the two Churches."
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the meeting, expected to last two hours in total, will consist of spontaneous speeches from the Pope and the Patriarch who will also issue a joint declaration. He added that the meeting, which was always to take place on neutral ground, is the fruit of two years of talks.
- News.va coverage here
- Follow on Twitter - here
- L’Osservatore Romano - The historic meeting will take place in Cuba on 12 February- Pope Francis will meet Patriarch Kirill
- Crux - Russian patriarch to hold first-ever meeting in Cuba Feb. 12
- Crux (analysis) - Why a meeting between the pope and Russian patriarch is finally happening
- CNA - 'First in history' – Pope Francis to meet Russian Patriarch in Cuba
- RT - Unprecedented: Pope Francis, Russian Patriarch Kirill to meet in Cuba to heal 1,000yr rift
- Rorate Caeli - Pope Francis, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow to meet in Cuba on February 12Moscow Patriarchate: main topic of discussion will be the persecution of Christians, Ukraine disputes no longer an obstacle to Pope-Patriarch meeting
- Reuters - Historic meeting of pope and Russian Orthodox head seen nearer
- NYT - Historic Move, Pope to Meet With Leader of Russian Orthodox Church
- America - Pope Francis and Russian Patriarch Kirill in Unprecedented Encounter
- Alteleia - Pope Francis to Meet Patriarch Kirill of Moscow in Cuba - February 12 meeting of Primates of the Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church “a first in history
- Sandro Magister - Francis and Kirill Together, Under Tropical Skies (seems Sandro had the inside track a bit earlier than everyone else)
- Rocco adds his analysis and commentary here.
- Fr Kirill Gorbunov on meeting between Pope and Patriarch - Father Kirill Gorbunov, Press Secretary for the Catholic Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow, said on Friday that he believes the upcoming meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, will help take relations “to a new level” between the two Churches. He spoke to Susy Hodges shortly after the announcement that this historic meeting between the two spiritual leaders will take place in Cuba on February 12th.
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