2006-12-14 14:54:00

Greek Orthodox Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens meets with Pope Benedict XVI


(14 Dec. 2006) : Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens, the head of the Greek Orthodox Church, met with Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday in the Vatican for talks on relations between the two churches. Although the Archbishop attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II in April 2005, this is his first formal visit ever made by a Greek Orthodox primate to the Holy See.
Relations between Catholic and Orthodox churches have improved significantly in recent years, though they remain divided by long-standing questions of doctrine. In his remarks on Wednesday, Archbishop Christodoulos referred to «the scandal of the division of Christians» and spoke of a continuing, 25-year dialogue that has as its aim to break the ice between the churches. Archbishop Christodoulos set his visit in a broader perspective, expressing the need for collaboration of religions, and not only between the Christian churches. World peace is threatened by the fanaticism of certain persons, on which they put the label of religion, he said.









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