[Cronos]

I dispute the very statement that he was Greek ethnically -- he would have considered himself a citizen of the Roman Empire (our narrow ethnic terms would be meaningless to him). Also, he is a revered saint in both east and west -- he belongs not only to the Greeks but to the entire world.

If Anatolia was returned to Orthodoxy, I would see no problem in having the relics returned to a Church in Myra or Antioch -- though that Church should properly be of the Antioch Patriarchy.

Why should he be returned to Greece when he was as alien to that land as to Bari? And Russia was even more alien.

No, in the absence of a Christian presence in Myra, Bari has as great rights as any other place.

Should there be an Orthodox Church veneration of the saint in Bari -- YES and YES, that IS there -- there is an Orthodox Church there.


Finally -- the "thievery" is disputed (naturally after 1000 years) -- the sailors who did this would argue that they were saving it from theMuslim hordes who just a century before had destroyed the Holy Church of the Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Were they right or wrong? That's up to individual opinion. Was it thievery or saving? That's again up to individual opinion, not FACT.

What IS a FACT is that the relics are safe and have been cared for, for 1000 years, which may not have happened under theMuslims.

And also -- what proof do you have that this was in any was "sanctioned" or requested by the Patriarch of The West? Or was this the actions carried out by the sailors of Bari?

I dispute the very notion that the Pope at that time said "go gettem" -- can you prove he did?

Why should the Bishop of Rome "humbly" discuss something he had nothing to do with? --> your pride does not go well with orthodoxy.

[Pyro7480]

You know, some of the responses from the Orthodox on here are a manifestation of how some (too many in, my opinion), are needlessly holding on to centuries-old grudges (oh, you Latins did this in this year, you Latin did that). Sorry to be blunt, but that’s how it appears to me.

[Kolokotronis]

“I dispute the very statement that he was Greek ethnically — he would have considered himself a citizen of the Roman Empire (our narrow ethnic terms would be meaningless to him).”

Absolute nonsense. The Eastern Romans were very proud that they were part of an Hellenic culture and Myra was a Lycian city populated virtually 100% with ethnic Greeks in +Nicholas’ time, as it remained until the 1920s.

“Why should the Bishop of Rome “humbly” discuss something he had nothing to do with? —> your pride does not go well with orthodoxy.”

Because by retaining the relics in one of his churches he is an accomplice.