Posted on 11/29/2006 4:47:14 PM PST by NYer
The visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate is the main reason for the Pope’s trip to Turkey on the Feast Day of Saint Andrew. A joint statement is expected tomorrow. Istanbul is under tight security.
Istanbul (AsiaNews) – Magnificent Greek chants, embraces, statements about mutual commitment to continue working for full unity filled the meeting which Benedict XVI called a moment “of good will and ecclesiastic meaning”.
At the end of the second day of his visit to Turkey, Benedict XVI arrived in the Phanar district, seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the first “in honour” amongst Orthodox patriarchate. It is the eve of the Feast Day of Saint Andrew, patron saint of the Eastern Churches.
The meeting with Bartholomew I is the main purpose for the Pope’s visit. And right after flying in from Izmir, Benedict XVI goes straight away to the Patriarchate.
There is an imposing deployment of police at the airport and along the road. The 22-kilometre route is closed off to all traffic: an empty freeway in the heart of the city with a police car at each intersection, police officers everywhere, and an armoured vehicle as part of the convoy.
Along the Golden Horn, impossibly crowded at this time of the day, lighted fishmonger stalls are empty, clients are missing. People waiting for the ferry come forward guardedly to edge of the road, more out of curiosity than anything else.
Al-Qaeda’s threats are too recent to have had any impact on the tight security. For now as the Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi said, they don’t worry the Pope or his entourage.
Upon arrival in the Phanar, the small Church of Saint George—without its dome because under Ottoman rule only mosques could have domes, and without any cross at the entrance because it is a religious symbol—is illuminated as it were a feast day. Inside the gold of the icons, the walls and the magnificent patriarch’s throne are bright and shine.
Bartholomew and Benedict already know each other and have met before, but the Pope’s visit to Istanbul, where the Pontiff will meet the Patriarch three times, is an expression of their shared desire to pursue the ecumenical journey.
Bartholomew made this point reminding popes and patriarchs of their responsibility along the path of reconciliation. Benedict XVI echoed it when explaining that his visit to the patriarchate is part of the journey to strengthen “the impetus towards mutual understanding and the quest of full unity.”
Earlier, the Pope mentioned “the momentous events that have sustained our commitment to work for the full unity of Catholics and Orthodox. I wish above all to recall the courageous decision to remove the memory of the anathemas of 1054,” taken in a joint declaration by Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras, and “written in a spirit of rediscovered love”.
“Signs of this love,” the Pope said, “have been evident in numerous declarations of shared commitment and many meaningful gestures.”
During the ceremony, a celebration of Vespers in all but name, seven antiphons were sung. Two were dedicated to Peter and Paul, patron saints of the Church of Rome and the Church of Saint Andrew. The fifth was composed for Pope Paul VI’s visit and expressed the joy of the Church of Constantinople in receiving the one who sits in the Seat of Peter. A passage from Zachariah, which calls upon the peoples of the East and the West to come together in Jerusalem, is read.
Afterwards Bartholomew and Benedict XVI held a private meeting inside the small compound surrounded by a maze of streets in a district that is relatively close to the heart of Istanbul.
The Pope and Patriarch will meet again tomorrow for the solemn celebration of Saint Andrew in the Church of Saint George and are scheduled to sign a joint declaration. Nothing ground-breaking is expected from the statement, nor is it expected to be a giant leap along the ecumenical path, but it is certainly another step forward, especially in light of the work by the re-established joint commission that is dealing with Catholic-Orthodox theological issues. Just a few weeks ago in fact, the same commission meeting in Belgrade touched upon the fundamental issue of the Petrine primacy.
I think there are good, clean and hilarious captions inspired by this.
The Esphigmenou monks aren't going like this one bit!
Armed Greek Police plan to forcibly remove monks
REMINDER
EWTN will be providing live coverage of the Patriarch's Divine Liturgy, with the Holy Father concelebrating. Coverage is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 30 at 2AM EST (for the early birds) with encore at 2PM EST. EWTN is broadcast via cable, satellite tv and over the internet.
REMINDER
EWTN will be providing live coverage of the Patriarch's Divine Liturgy, with the Holy Father concelebrating. Coverage is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 30 at 2AM EST (for the early birds) with encore at 2PM EST. EWTN is broadcast via cable, satellite tv and over the internet.
Just a few weeks ago in fact, the same commission meeting in Belgrade touched upon the fundamental issue of the Petrine primacy.
Do you (or any other Freepers) happen to have any further information about the Belgrade commission meeting referred to here? Again, thank you.
-A8
The Patriarch looks a little like Professor Dumbledore.
Cool staff!
WAY cool!
AWEsomely cool!
I'll bet those are REAL emeralds and rubies, not glass!
. . . why should the Orthodox out-cool us . . .
Here's a link to comments made by +Met John, the EP's rep to the dialog made some months ago.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1509010/posts
There have been a few threads about comments by the Russian Orthodox about a dust up at the meeting where Met. John seemed to take the side of Cardinal Kasper on primacy issues and vice versa to the irritation of the Russians. These particular threads never got very far as the most prominent Catholic (he says he's not "Roman") "Orthodox hater" on FR showed up with his poison and the threads sort of disintegrated. You might try a Google search as there was quite a bit of news last September and October about the meeting.
Our hierarchs have the coolest hats, too!
"I'll bet those are REAL emeralds and rubies, not glass!"
Yup, they sure are!
Indeed it is...but as was pointed out by implication, that one has been put in a closet in the Vatican somewhere, Our guys still wear their crowns, as you will see tomorrow during the Divine Liturgy.
Cleopatra's fans?
Goofy, just like a beehive. Pat wouldn't wear it.
Personally, I dislike to see the Successor of Peter carried around like King Pharaoh.
Humility has its own eloquence.
-Theo
Commentary. For me it is always an occasion for great personal joy when the Roman Pontiff meets with the Ecumenical Patriarch. Although I yearn for unity, I know the grave obstacles separating the two Communions and I also know that healing the schism between us will take a miracle.
However, as a Christian, I have learned to expect miracles; there's nothing impossible for God.
I hope that Pope Benedict's visit will bring Catholics and Orthodox closer together and I pray that soon we might be one again, and that healing this original sin of separation may serve to convey a new hope to the world.
- Read also my Op-ed, Orthodox and Catholics should work together to face common challenges, published last May in the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat.
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