Pope meets delegation from Ecumenical Patriachate

(June 28, 2010) The many meetings between the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriachate of Constantinople and the Roman Catholic Church, offer hopeful signs that Catholic-Orthodox dialogue will continue making significant progress. The Pope made the observation on Monday to a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriachate in Istanbul, Turkey, that is currently in Rome on the occasion of Tuesday’s feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. The Pope hoped that Catholic-Orthodox Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue that discussed the role of the Roman Pontiff during its meeting in Paphos, Cyprus, last October, would continue the work also in the forthcoming plenary session in Vienna, Austria. The Holy Father also hoped that ecumenical cooperation between the Christians of the Middle East will receive great attention in the upcoming special synod of bishops for the Middle East in October in the Vatican. Noting that “the difficulties that the Christians of the Middle East are experiencing are in large measure common to all: (namely) living as a minority, and yearning for authentic religious freedom and for peace,” the Holy Father stressed the need for dialogue also with the Islamic and Jewish communities. On Monday evening, the Orthodox delegation was to participate in a Vespers service led by the Pope in Rome’s St. Paul’s Basilica Outside the Walls, and on Sunday it was to be present at a papal Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica to mark the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, currently Bartholomew I, holds a place of special honour among some 15 autonomous Orthodox Churches that are not in communion with the Catholic Church.