Pope Again Reaches Out to Orthodox Church

Herald Tribune ^ | June 30, 2003

[NYer]

VATICAN CITY Pope John Paul II again reached out to the Orthodox Church on Sunday, saying his efforts at reconciliation weren't just "ecclesiastic courtesy" but a sign of his profound desire to unite the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches.

John Paul made the comments during his regular appearance to pilgrims and tourists in St. Peter's Square. Later Sunday, he welcomed a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople at a traditional Mass marking the feast day of St. Peter and St. Paul.

"The exchange of delegations between Rome and Constantinople, for the respective patron feasts, goes beyond just an act of ecclesiastic courtesy," the pontiff said. "It reflects the profound and rooted intention to re-establish the full communion between East and West."

John Paul has made improving relations with the Orthodox Church a hallmark of his nearly 25-year papacy, visiting several mostly Orthodox countries and expressing regret for the wrongs committed by the Catholic Church against Orthodox Christians.

Despite his efforts at healing the 1,000-year-old schism, he hasn't yet visited Russia because of objections from the Russian Orthodox Church.

During the Mass on Sunday, 42 new archbishops received the pallium, a band of white wool decorated with black crosses that symbolizes their bond with the Vatican. Two of the archbishops received the pallium in their home parishes; the rest took part in the Mass in St. Peter's Basilica.

[RussianConservative]

Why should Orthodox be crazied? If you thinks this is Orthodox bending to Vatican, you're self fooling. A show of good faith nothing more.

[RussianConservative]

Catholic means united in those reference...during that writing no "pope" in Rome but Patriarch, one of 5 equals. Rome fell into corruption with Schism and again with Reformation.

[RussianConservative]

Notice instant sacremonious attitude of certain peoples?

[RussianConservative]

Sure will happen, as soon as Pope becomes Patriarch.

[RussianConservative]

There you miss point, till Catholics Schism from Orthodox, there no one Shepard but Jesus, all Patriarchs equal, even one in Rome...but that not good enough...Patriarch of Rome, he wants to be king on earth and one sole interpretor and route to God....that blasphemy. For thousand years we threw Catholic armies back trying to make us slaves as we threw Muslim armies back trying to make us slaves...we not slaves to Pope or Mullah not now not ever. Here, novel idea, instead of trying to steal our wine, go sop up your own that you spill....your church hemroges members as it does tears of those wronged by priests...priests that still protected by corruption and greed. Your peoples not Christian now, yet you do nothing but try steal our bread. If we want see our future if we ever bend knee to you, we only look at western Europe and US and see Catholic Church corruption there.

[Patrick Madrid]

"Rome fell into corruption with Schism and again with Reformation"

Nyet.

[RussianConservative]

Oh, did you miss Papel Infallibility? Sale Indulgences? Fairy tale of Pergatory and price for prayers for those there? Did you miss Popes as Kings of Papal States? Tax masters and executioners? The Inquisition? The plunder of Constantinople? Luther's Edict? Or would we like more recent examples?

[FormerLib]

I still remember Patriarch Bartholemew's speech at Georgetown University. Being that he had been friendly to the Pope and Roman Catholic representatives for so long, it was suspected that he was going to make a speech favoring unification.

Instead, he spoke of the fact that we know had differing 'ontological' understandings of the nature of God and would remain ever separate.

The Orthodox in America and around the world breathed a sigh of relief.

The other side is trying to pretend it never happened. Then they named the murderous Stepinac as a saint and nailed the doop to unification SHUT!

[FormerLib]

Primacy of Peter? Certainly!

Primacy of the fallible human who claims to sit in the same seat? Never!

[MarMema]

molodyetz.

[MarMema]

I still remember Patriarch Bartholemew's speech at Georgetown University

this one I think.

"The nature of the Church, viewed in the light of the Orthodox Faith, is a reality which is recognized spiritually and not descriptively. Each one of us knows the members of his own body not because he has been taught about them or because they have been described in detail by anyone. He knows them, in a special way, because of the direct and living bond with them, even if he does not understand this scientifically."

"The Church is not an imaginary entity, is not a legal entity, a mere gathering of the faithful, or a worldly establishment or creation."

[MarMema]

Here is what Patriarch Bartholomew said he believes the real problem to be.

"Assuredly our problem is neither geographical nor one of personal alienation. Neither is it a problem of organizational structures, nor jurisdictional arrangements. Neither is it a problem of external submission, nor absorption of individuals and groups. It is something deeper and more substantive.

The manner in which we exist has become ontologically different. Unless our ontological transfiguration and transformation toward one common model of life is achieved, not only in form but also in substance, unity and its accompanying realization become impossible."

I don't know. I think the pope may come to regret putting his aging dreams to obtain glory after death into print as he did.

[Conservative til I die]

The reason I think some will go crazy is because they can't stand seeing the Pope and the Orthodox interacting in anyway.

[Conservative til I die]

Would you mind cut and pasting another 800 pages?

[B-Chan]

Well, based upon the Christian love I see in this thread, I'm sure Satan is trembling in his boots tonight.

But don't worry: we'll have our reunion -- either by choice, or when we find ourselves back-to-back in the catacombs as the Enemy closes in for the kill.

May God bless our Pope, and our Orthodox brothers and sisters!

[Conservative til I die]

I didn't write what you're responding to here.

[sinkspur]

You boys do get your backs up, don't you?

This reunification is going to happen. We may all be dead when it does, but it is going to happen, by the Grace of God.

[MarMema]

It does seem to be common thinking that some enemy will drive us into the arms of the pope, but I wonder why that is? In so many countries the Orthodox church has survived tremendous persecution and has yet to ask the pope for assistance, or unity. In Russia, Romania, and Serbia, the Orthodox church is alive and thriving, and has overcome persecution of the worst kind, some of it from members of your church.

So I ask you, why do you think we would need to seek unity with you in the face of evil, when we have not needed it in the past?

[MarMema]

Yes sorry. I just like posting to you and was quoting from the posted news brief.

[MarMema]

This reunification is going to happen

I am sure the world is anxiously awaiting your next prediction with the same degree of concern we hold for this one.