Pope Presses Georgian Orthodox Agenda Despite Mass Absence

Nicole Winfield and Misha Dzhindzhikhashvili ^ | 10/1/16 | AP

[marshmallow]

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) -- Pope Francis' efforts to improve relations with the Georgian Orthodox Church suffered a setback Saturday after the patriarchate decided at the last minute not to send an official delegation to his Mass and reminded the Orthodox faithful they cannot participate in Catholic services.

Francis still pressed on with his agenda, insisting that Catholics must never try to convert Orthodox and bowing in prayer alongside the Orthodox patriarch after they both lit a candle in the Orthodox cathedral.

Francis called for the historical divisions that have "lacerated" Christianity to be healed through patience, trust and dialogue.

"We are called to be one in Jesus Christ and to avoid putting disharmony and divisions between the baptized first, because what unites us is much more than what divides us," he told Patriarch Ilia, amid the Aramaic chants and hypnotic bells tolling at the cathedral in the spiritual capital of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

Saturday's developments on the second and final day of Francis' visit to Georgia reflected the "one step forward, two steps back" progress that often accompanies the Vatican's outreach to the Orthodox Church, which split from the Catholic Church over 1,000 years ago over issues including the primacy of the pope.

On Sunday, Francis heads to largely Shiite Muslim Azerbaijan, where the Catholic Church enjoys good relations with the government despite allegations of human rights abuses and the suppression of dissent.

Before Francis' Caucasus visit, the Vatican spokesman had said the Georgian Orthodox Patriarchate would send a delegation to the Mass in a Tbilisi sports stadium "in a sign of the rapport" - suggesting that the chill which had clouded St. John Paul II's visit in 1999 had warmed. And Francis had received an unexpectedly warm welcome from the Orthodox leader upon his arrival Friday.

But Orthodox..............

[Byron_the_Aussie]

Has there ever been a worse Pope in history, Marshy? Than Red Frank?

A 'yes' would be of great comfort to me.

[Popman]

Orthodox Church, which split from the Catholic Church over 1,000 years ago over issues including the primacy of the pope.

Hummm...

[lee martell]

Why is he doing this? Needlessly destroying ties between christian groups due to semantics or a power play. This is like something Obama would do, Why? Just to show that he could do it.

[ebb tide]

"Proselytism is a grave sin against ecumenism," Francis told Catholic priests and seminarians after his Mass.

Heretic. The North American martyrs are turning over in their graves.

[beethovenfan]

What about Latvian Orthodox?

[piusv]

After taking all these factors into consideration, this Sacred Council solemnly repeats the declaration of previous Councils and Roman Pontiffs, that for the restoration or the maintenance of unity and communion it is necessary "to impose no burden beyond what is essential".(37) It is the Council's urgent desire that, in the various organizations and living activities of the Church, every effort should be made toward the gradual realization of this unity, especially by prayer, and by fraternal dialogue on points of doctrine and the more pressing pastoral problems of our time. Similarly, the Council commends to the shepherds and faithful of the Catholic Church to develop closer relations with those who are no longer living in the East but are far from home, so that friendly collaboration with them may increase, in the spirit of love, to the exclusion of all feeling of rivalry or strife. If this cause is wholeheartedly promoted, the Council hopes that the barrier dividing the Eastern Church and Western Church will be removed, and that at last there may be but the one dwelling, firmly established on Christ Jesus, the cornerstone, who will make both one.(38)

Francis is just echoing Vatican II. All of the post Vatican II popes have said or done the same with their words and/or actions.

The new and improved "Catholic" faith doesn't wish to proselytize. And that's actually a good thing since that faith isn't really Catholic.

[piusv]

Is the link the same article?

[piusv]

http://novusordowatch.org/2016/10/francis-converting-orthodox-sin-against-ecumenism/

[marshmallow]

No, thee link has changed since yesterday, unless I’m going nuts....

[marshmallow]

He's either the worst or the best.....LOL!

Some days I think it could be me that's the problem.

[piusv]

I am sure you are not going nuts. You are one of the sane ones here.