Pope, Russian patriarch meet for first time in 1,000 years
Despite famine, religious wars, worldwide conflict and the spread of civilization, the heads of the Roman Catholic and the Russian Orthodox churches hadn’t spoken since the Great Schism of 1054 shattered Christendom, so they had a lot of catching up to do at their historic meeting Friday in Cuba.
Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill embraced and kissed each other three times on the cheek as they met in the woodpaneled VIP room at Havana’s José Martí International Airport. The church leaders then proceeded to a pair of straight- backed chairs turned at right angles. After another round of handshakes for the cameras and greetings with members of their entourages, the twomen sat and began talking.
They held a two- hour “personal conversation” and then signed a joint declaration. “We are brothers,” Francis said as he embraced Kirill.
The split between the two churches nearly 1,000 years ago has festered over issues such as the primacy of the pope and accusations by the Russian Orthodox Church that the Catholic Church tries to poach converts in Russia.
No pope has ever visited Russia. En route to the historic visit Friday, journalists asked Francis if a visit to the nation is on his papal bucket list.
“China and Russia, I have them here,” Francis said, pointing to his heart. “Pray.”
Few people expect Friday’s meeting— which took two years of secret planning to pull off — will wipe away centuries of distrust and suspicion in a few hours, but it will be a groundbreaking step toward Catholic- Orthodox relations.
One important issue drawing the two churches closer is the rise of persecution of Christians in the Middle East and Africa. Metropolitan Illarion, foreign policy chief of the Russian Orthodox Church, said recently that the problem requires “immediate action.”
Historic get- together is first step in wiping away years of mistrust, suspicion