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.

[Ethan Clive Osgoode]

Which basic charity? Hmm? You avoid answer, which charity?

Didn't you read post 485?

[RussianConservative]

. We have progressed to the point where our Roman friends no longer deny that he did it, an ecumenical breakthrough if ever I saw one. :0) :0) hehehehe, to true, to true.

It gets me, I think I understand why you protestants hate papists so. True, I not deny I have brought protestant friend to Orthodox faith and invited others before...but if they say no, then thats it...if they ask I tell more...some times stear conversation and tell but never pressure if no then no. But these guys...for 1000 years we say no, so they don't listen and then get angry and bring armies...just like the jihadies.

Love their threats of Jihadi or unite...where were they to help during last 400 years? Oh, yeah, allieing with Sultans against only Orthodox nation still left at that time: Russia.

[RussianConservative]

You hypocrit. We give you basic love and leave you alone...but you come into our house to defile it then scream how dare we defend ourselves and we not christian. You and Jihaders same, no wonder pope kisses koran...or will you deny this too?

[MarMema]

They also claim that the Serbian Orthodox church is being indoctrinated by Jews. It's a hate site, but it has nothing to do with my church.

[George W. Bush]

With a electric motor representing The Father, a wire representing Christ and electricity representing the Holy Spirit: The Father like the motor moves the current/Holy Spirit the current/Holy Spirit passes through the conduit wire/The Son to give light.

I'm not certain that I grasp your whole analogy here but I think you Orthodox serve the rest of us well by renewing the challenge to filioquism. It is not merely the Roman churches who hold this view in the West. They have infected many of the Protestant and evangelical churches with the notion as well.

I am personally well satisfied that the Spirit emanates from the Father. I have always had a strong spiritual sense of it. One notices how often the Father is demoted to almost nothingness in comparison to the Son or even the Spirit among those who hold strange and unscriptural doctrines. I don't confine this observation to our Roman friends alone. There are many other examples of it. And some are far worse than Rome is.

It is astonishing how a defective or corrupted view of the Trinity always seems necessary to give roots to heresies, both in the ancient church and in the modern ones.

[MarMema]

It is astonishing how a defective or corrupted view of the Trinity always seems necessary to give roots to heresies

An excellent point and one to think further on. Thanks!

[George W. Bush]

This is but a subset of their unstated principle: everything Rome does is ipso facto brilliant.

My goodness! I think you've stumbled onto something here...

; )

[Ethan Clive Osgoode]

maybe you heard of Alexander Nevski? He defeat two of your murderous armies while fighting Mongols....

Actually, on the advice of Metropolitan Cyril, Nevsky allied with the Mongols and paid them tribute. Seems that what you know about your own history is mostly self-glorifying fairy tales. Maybe you've been watching too many Eisenstein soviet propaganda films.

[ArrogantBustard]

It is astonishing how a defective or corrupted view of the Trinity always seems necessary to give roots to heresies, both in the ancient church and in the modern ones.

Watching Protestants and Easterns discuss their theology never ceases to remind me of this fact.

[George W. Bush]

Aren't you late for the Koran-kissing ritual at your local Roman franchise or something? Better hurry.

[Ethan Clive Osgoode]

he had orgies of exterminations against Aremnians, Assyrians and Anatolin Greeks.....

And yet you still prefer to side with Muslims against the West. Go figure.

[ArrogantBustard]

Hmmm. It was an "orthodox" poster on this thread who preferred the Sultan to the Pope. Have you paid your dhimmi tax yet? Better hurry.

[RussianConservative]

Are you stupid or I talk to wall...maybe you not read whole post...it was Catholics who support Autoturk against Orthodox, it was Catholics who allie with Turks against Russia, it was Catholics who backstab Constantinople against Turks/Arabs. It was Catholics who attack Russia same time as Mongols...you know you wrong but you cann't admit it...fine what ever....end of conversation.

[RussianConservative]

Actually, on the advice of Metropolitan Cyril, Nevsky allied with the Mongols and paid them tribute.

Yes, because he already defeat your popes and Lithuanians on Neva river and knew that Popes send another army with Teutonics...at least pagan Mongols didn't destroy Orthodox Church...he allie because your popes gave no choice...it is you again who need to learn history.

[RussianConservative]

Hmmm...last time I check it was pope praising NATO for attacking evil Orthodox Serbs while it was also pope damning America/Britian for harming hair on Muslim heads....better hurry.

[ArrogantBustard]

Have you figured out the difference between "infallible" and "impeccable" yet?

[Ethan Clive Osgoode]

Yes, [...] he allie

Well, well, it seems your first version of history wasn't quite correct, was it? Don't you hate when that happens? In other words, you wrote BS in #517: "He[Nevsky] defeat two of your murderous armies while fighting Mongols"

[MarMema]

Watching Protestants and Easterns discuss their theology never ceases to remind me of this fact.

It is, however, the Protestants who are keeping America from falling completely to the wolves. Your church, sadly, is assisting the wolves by presenting itself as a constant news item. But then that was often the case historically for us, too....before there were Protestants, that is.
I say this with no dislike of you, AB. If there is hope for America, we are too small here and too passive, and you are far too corrupt and sick with sin. It is the Protestants who will be our salvation if we are fortunate enough to prevail in the current culture war of America.

[ArrogantBustard]

It's a free country ... you're welcome to your opinion. But I don't share it, and don't think the facts support it. The greatest evil in the USA is legalised abortion. It's as great an evil as NAZI German, Soviet Russian, and Red Chinese genocide. And I look around at who's opposing it, and I see Catholics, and more Catholics, and still more Catholics, and ... oh, yes, the occasional Protestant. I welcome them to the fray, but to say that "[i]t is the Protestants who will be our salvation if we are fortunate enough to prevail in the current culture war of America" is, IMO, delusional.

[RussianConservative]

Yes, it was one murderous army while fighting mongols and one after making peace with mongols...both catholic...I was off on one point, you were off on all points...sure what ever.