Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople (CNS photo/John Thavis)
Source: The Catholic World Report
A first since the Great Schism
By Catherine Harmon
In a historic development, it was announced today that Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, will attend Pope Francis’ installation Mass in Rome March 19, the first time such an event as taken place since the Great Schism in 1054.
The ecumenical patriarch will be accompanied by Ioannis Zizioulas, metropolitan of Pergamon and co-president of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic and the Orthodox Church, as well as Tarassios, Orthodox Metropolitan of Argentina, and Gennadios, Orthodox Metropolitan of Italy.
Relations between Catholics and Orthodox have been improving since the Second Vatican Council through mutual visits, acts of friendship and theological dialogue.
Under Benedict XVI, the dialogue picked up in earnest after a lull. In trying to promote it, the pope suggested ways to express the primacy of Peter’s successor that could be acceptable to the Orthodox, finding his inspiration from the undivided Church of the first millennium.
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As two churches in Schism, we men cannot bring HIS Church together, but the HOLY SPIRIT will do this, I pray in my lifetime. Matthew the POOR writes about this in the appendix of his book “The Communion of Love”. As Men, we cannot accomplish what only GOD can and will do (I HOPE).