Pope, patriarch urge Christian unity at historic talks

Yahoo – AFP, Jean-Louis de la Vaissiere, 13 February 2016

Pope Francis (R) and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill,

 greet each other during a historic meeting in Havana on February 12, 2016 (AFP

Photo/Adalberto Roque)

Havana (AFP) - Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill called in a historic meeting Friday for restored Christian unity and urgent action to help Christians threatened by violence in the Middle East.

"For nearly one thousand years, Catholics and Orthodox have been deprived of communion in the Eucharist," they said in a joint declaration signed after talks in Cuba.

Pope Francis (R) and the head of the

Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, 

kiss each other during a historic meeting in 

Havana on February 12, 2016 (AFP Photo/

Adalberto Roque)

"We are pained by the loss of unity, the outcome of human weakness and of sin."

It was the first meeting between the heads of the Eastern and Western churches since the great schism of 1054 when the churches split apart, with the Eastern church rejecting the authority of Rome.

"Mindful of the permanence of many obstacles, it is our hope that our meeting may contribute to the re–establishment of this unity willed by God," the church leaders said.

Their meeting was driven by rising violence in recent years in the Middle East, where Christian communities have suffered violence at the hands of extremists.

"We call upon the international community to act urgently in order to prevent the further expulsion of Christians from the Middle East," they said.

"In many countries of the Middle East and North Africa whole families, villages and cities of our brothers and sisters in Christ are being completely exterminated," they went on.

"We wish to express our compassion for the suffering experienced by the faithful of other religious traditions who have also become victims of civil war, chaos and terrorist violence."

The 79-year-old Francis, in white robes and a skullcap, and Kirill, 69, in black robes and a white headdress, earlier kissed and embraced before sitting down smiling for the historic meeting at Havana airport.

Between them, they are the spiritual leaders of more than 1.3 billion Christians.

"At last we meet. We are brothers," said the pope as he met the white-bearded Orthodox leader. "Clearly, this meeting is God's will."

Comparison of the Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches, with photos 

of their leaders (AFP Photo/Gustavo IZUS)

Church diplomacy

The meeting on neutral ground -- hosted by the communist, atheist Cuban leadership of Raul Castro -- was decades in the planning, with the final obstacles swept away by the pope's determination and global politics.

"I just wanted to embrace my Orthodox brothers," he said in an interview this week.

But he also framed the encounter in a broader context of engaging Russia, saying Moscow could be an important partner for peace in the world.

Francis has twice received Russia's President Vladimir Putin at the Vatican. The Russian leader has clashed with other powers recently over the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine.

The Orthodox Church's refusal to accept the primacy of the Roman pontiff has long been the primary barrier to a rapprochement between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches.

Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill (C) and Cuba's President Raul Castro (R) exchange

gifts after a meeting in Havana on February 12, 2016 (AFP Photo/Enrique de la Osa)

Now there are also tensions over the perceived evangelism of the Catholic Church in Eastern Europe.

The conflict in Ukraine has pitted Ukrainian Catholics loyal to Rome against separatists who are mostly Russian Orthodox.

Meanwhile, violence by armed Islamist groups has surged in the Middle East and North Africa.

"The international community must undertake every possible effort to end terrorism through common, joint and coordinated action," the declaration read.

"We exhort all Christians and all believers of God to pray fervently to the providential creator of the world to protect his creation from destruction and not permit a new world war."

The church leaders warned against the rise of secularism and said European integration must respect religious identities.

Pope Francis (L) is welcomed by Cuban President Raul Castro at the

 International Airport Jose Marti in Havana, on February 12, 2016 (AFP

 Photo/Yamil Lage)

"While remaining open to the contribution of other religions to our civilization, it is our conviction that Europe must remain faithful to its Christian roots," they said.

Francis left after the meeting for a tour of Mexico, while Kirill continued a visit to Cuba, Brazil and Paraguay.

Francis's arrival in Mexico was set to be a luminous affair, with hundreds of thousands of well-wishers expected to line the 12-mile (19-kilometer) route from the airport to the Vatican ambassador's residence in Mexico City.

Believers planned to light up the road Francis's popemobile will travel with their mobile phones or hand-held torches, creating what local organizer Roberto Delgado described as a "wall of light and prayer."

Pope, Russian patriarch sit down together in Cuba for historic meet https://t.co/3VVTKNAe08 pic.twitter.com/yZxhRJ17nL

— AFP news agency (@AFP) February 12, 2016

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Pope Francis and other religious leaders at the Vatican. Photograph: AP

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems  (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it),  Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse),  Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“.   New Tolerance

Look for a softening of finger pointing and an awakening of new tolerance. There will remain many systems for different cultures, as traditions and history are important to sustaining the integrity of culture. So there are many in the Middle East who would follow the prophet and they will continue, but with an increase of awareness. It will be the increase of awareness of what the prophet really wanted all along - unity and tolerance. The angel in the cave instructed him to "unify the tribes and give them the God of Israel." You're going to start seeing a softening of intolerance and the beginning of a new way of being.

Eventually, this will create an acknowledgement that says, "You may not believe the way we believe, but we honor you and your God. We honor our prophet and we will love you according to his teachings. We don't have to agree in order to love." How would you like that? The earth is not going to turn into one belief system. It never will, for Humans don't do that. There must be variety, and there must be the beauty of cultural differences. But the systems will slowly update themselves with increased awareness of the truth of a new kind of balance. So that's the first thing. Watch for these changes, dear ones. ...."