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New gesture toward Ecumenical Patriarch
Pope urges wider dialogue
Pope John Paul II called for more dialogue between the Catholic and Orthodox churches, in a message to the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople dated November 30: the feast of St. Andrew.
St. Andrew is the patron of the Church in Constantinople, and it has become customary for the Pope to send a message to the Ecumenical Patriarch on that day—just as the Orthodox leader sends a message to the Roman Pontiff on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. These messages are delivered by personal representatives, who take part in the ceremonies held by the respective Church leaders. Cardinal Edward Cassidy, the president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, was the Pope’s representative in Constantinople this year.
In his message to Patriarch Bartholomew, the Holy Father said that current difficulties—centered on the status of the Eastern-rite Catholic churches—should not impede the movement toward Christian unity. John Paul expressed regret that the eighth meeting of a mixed Catholic-Orthodox theological commission, held in Baltimore in July, did not yield any concrete results. He said the apparent stalemate in discussions should be seen as a challenge to clarify “the questions in dispute,” as a first step toward resolving them.
The Pope also used his annual message to ask all Catholic and Orthodox believers, wherever they live, to “intensify and affirm their fraternal relations without pause, with mutual respect and confidence.” That, he said, is the only way to overcome the current impasse.
Back to Catholic World Report January 2001 Table of Contents