Constantinople (AsiaNews) - The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I will attend Pope Francis's inaugural Mass. The Ecumenical Patriarchate Press Office informed AsiaNews about the decision, noting that this is the first time such an event occurs since the Catholic-Orthodox split in 1054, an important sign for Christian unity. The attendance of the Archbishop of Constantinople at a papal enthronement was rare even before the schism.
The ecumenical patriarch will be accompanied by Ioannis Zizioulas, metropolitan of Pergamon and co-president of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic and the Orthodox Church, as well as Tarassios, Orthodox Metropolitan of Argentina, and Gennadios, Orthodox Metropolitan of Italy.
Relations between Catholics and Orthodox have been improving since the Second Vatican Council through mutual visits, acts of friendship and theological dialogue.
Under Benedict XVI, the dialogue picked up in earnest after a lull. In trying to promote it, the pope suggested ways to express the primacy of Peter's successor that could be acceptable to the Orthodox, finding his inspiration from the undivided Church of the first millennium.
Catholic ecumenism has met however with great resistance from the Russian Orthodox Church and the Moscow Patriarchate, seat of the 'Third Rome'.
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church's Department for External Relations, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, said on Thursday that a meeting between the pope and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow was "possible but the place and timing will depend on how quickly we will overcome the consequences of the conflicts from the turn of 1980s and 1990s".
The issue of the Ukrainian Catholic Church is at the core of the "conflicts" to which Hilarion was referring. Although it was unbanned following the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was left without its original churches, which had been seized by the Communists under Soviet rule and later transferred to the Orthodox Church.
Still, "on several occasions, Pope Francis has shown spiritual sympathy towards the Orthodox Church and a desire for closer contacts," Hilarion said.
It is his hope that under the new pontificate "relations of alliance will develop and that our ties will be strengthened."
Friday, March 15, 2013
Ecumenical Patriarch to attend papal inaugural mass
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
I disagree with this decision. There are many and varied issues to settle with the Latin Catholic Church before there would ever be full communion. This type of ecumenism will only cause strife with the other Orthodox jurisdictions...and within the Greek Orthodox Church itself. I am certain that most monasteries on Mt Athos will not be pleased.
ReplyDeleteBiden, Pelosi to Represent America at Pope's Inaugural Mass
ReplyDeletehttp://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/biden-pelosi-represent-america-popes-inaugural-mass_707643.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
And the Patriarch of Constantinople (New Rome) will be there to watch. Just to make sure the Pope doesn’t give communion to pro-abortionists.
Should be interesting to watch!.
It's great news for the progress of Christian unity that Patriarch Bartholomew will be attending Pope Francis's inaugural Mass on March 19, 2013 -- the first time such an event will have occurred since the Catholic-Orthodox Christian split with the Great Schism in 1054.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Patriarch Bartholomew has agreed to attend this critical Mass -- and that he and other Orthodox hierarchs were invited to it -- illustrates that a rapprochement is now occurring between the Catholic and Orthodox churches.
And that rapprochement can only lead to one magnificent achievement; namely, a reunited Christian Church after nearly 1,000 years of separation.
The fact that Patriarch Bartholomew has agreed to attend this critical Mass -- and that he and other Orthodox hierarchs were invited to it -- illustrates that a rapprochement is now occurring between the Catholic and Orthodox churches.
ReplyDeleteAnd that rapprochement can only lead to one magnificent achievement; namely, a reunited Christian Church after nearly 1,000 years of separation.
Magnificent indeed. +Bartholomew steps outside the pale in Istanbul and the Schism is over. I guess the Melkites were right all along.
These hierarchs can go on about ecumenicism all they want. What is the 1,000 year history of Rome's external relations? Rome does not want ecumenicism. Rome wants universal jurisdiction.
Mend our own tents first. For starters, the Patriarchs can get to work on America and the un-canonical status they have deliberately fostered for the past two centuries--that's at least ten, twenty years of work for them right there. And they can reach out to our divorced Coptic brethren whose flocks are now targeted by Islamists.
Once we've got all that settled, then maybe we can start thinking about ecumenicism.
"Rome does not want ecumenicism. Rome wants universal jurisdiction."
DeleteYes.....and papal infallibility/supremacy. We definitely need to concentrate on our own house.
"Rome does not want ecumenicism. Rome wants universal jurisdiction."
DeleteI really don't think so. Remember the "Ratzinger Formula" of Pope Benedict XVI, that in any proposed reunion no more can be asked of the Orthodox Churches by Roman Catholics than what was the case in the first millennia of the Church. This has been the trend in Catholic attitudes at the highest levels. There are still battles between ultramontane and the more collegian positions within the Catholic Church it seems that the collegian position is winning out and has been increasingly doing so for a half century. Pope Francis said upon his first "Urbi et Orbi Blessing" that he as "bishop of Rome" would "preside in love" (the words of St. Ignatius of Antioch). This is a much more restrained statement for a pope than in ages past.
You speak too hastily, and without understanding if you say "Rome does not want ecumenicism. Rome wants universal jurisdiction." Rome does not even have that now throughout the eastern churches (Patriarchial Eastern Catholic Churches have independance), and what is stopping Rome from giving more independence to Eastern Catholic Churches in communion with Rome is hesitation because it would offend some Orthodox Churches. The UGCC (currently a "Major Archepiscopal Church" which is almost Autocephalous, but not quite) could be fully independent and autocephalous but for the protestations of the Russian Orthodox Patriarch. Similar cases can be made for the two Thomas-Christian Catholic Churches in India. They could be autocephalous Patriarchal Churches but for concern for relations with the Thomas-Christian Orthodox Churches.
Orthodox may not see Vatican II as a legit council, that is fine but do not ignore what it is doing in the Catholic Church in terms of how the Church sees the Pope's role, the relation of the Pope and the Roman Church with Eastern Catholics (Vatican II called for them to return to Orthodoxy while remaining in communion with Rome, i.e. eliminating Roman domination and latinizattion). Pay attention to Vatican II, pay attention to what recent Popes have said and done in relation to the Christian East. Read Ut Unim Sint. Then tell me if you can really say: "Rome does not want ecumenicism. Rome wants universal jurisdiction."
Rome does not even have that now throughout the eastern churches (Patriarchial Eastern Catholic Churches have independance),
DeleteIf Rome believed all you say, they would have told the Melkites and Maronites there was already a Patriarch in Antioch.
What do the Catholic bishops think about Americans going to Eastern Rite parishes to escape modern liturgies and having the Sacraments administered by married priests?
Even under this most sanguine view my point remains: we Orthodox should figure out who we are first, then we can talk about ecumenicism.
"Pay attention to Vatican II, pay attention to what recent Popes have said and done in relation to the Christian East."
DeleteI think the Holy Orthodox Church has paid very close attention to Vatican II....and they do not like everything they see. The Metropolitan of the Byzantine Catholic Church in America refuses to ordain married men to the priesthood. Why? The Latin Church has modernized their liturgies to the point where some Masses have a protestant feel. The Byzantine Catholics have a reformed gender neutral Liturgy. Many of the Latin nuns teach reiki, eco-spirituality, and other new age innovations. Yes....I think the Holy Orthodox Church has paid very close attention to Vatican II.
We have enough issues to attend to without adding to the repertoire.