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the fact that the EP and the Patriarch likely will jointly preside over a collection of Catholic and Orthodox theologians is "religious world" shaking.

Coming from you, K, I will accept your assessment of the situation and rejoice :-) Hallelujah!!!

I recall your initial reaction following the election of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger to the papacy. You liked his "theosis". It is not even 2 years since that great day.

Following his election, I recall certain media labeling him an 'interim' pope, fully anticipating a short and meaningless papacy. It has been anything but! When he traveled to Turkey last month, the forum Catholics set up prayer threads, fully anticipating some crazed Muslim would kill Pope Benedict XVI. We believe that God is in control but, hedged our bets on the Pope's life through our prayers. Not only did he come through unscathed, the media have now altered their view of him as one who can traverse the divisions that separate Muslims from Christians.

Is it just me or do you also see the Holy Spirit at work through this man?

"I recall your initial reaction following the election of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger to the papacy. You liked his "theosis". It is not even 2 years since that great day."

I had read much of the then Card. Ratzinger's writings and having heard him speak right after his election, I knew I was hearing the words of the most patristic thinking pope in 1000+ years. Since then I have become more and more convinced that we may well be hearing the words of a "Father" of The Church. And when he speaks to the universal Church, he speaks in the words of an Eastern Father. I think that's why so much of canonical Orthodoxy is taken with him in a way that they never were with +JPII.

"Is it just me or do you also see the Holy Spirit at work through this man?"

I don't think there is any doubt of that, but remember, the HS will have to work among the Orthodox hierarchs, clergy and laity too. So far it looks pretty good but the Russian Church will be a tough nut to crack for all sorts of, frankly, good historical reasons. For now, the HS seems to be working with the EP too, as it was his idea that he and +BXVI preside over the dialog at which all the Orthodox Churches are represented.

Like I said, this is truly astonishing.