Orthodox hope to end Catholic divide
Courtesy: The Associated Press
Orthodox hope to end Catholic divide
Saturday, March 18, 2006 VATICAN CITY (AP) - The leader of the Russian
Orthodox Church has told Pope Benedict XVI he hopes for a "rapid
resolution"
of ongoing problems that divide the Catholic and Orthodox churches,
according to a letter released Friday by the Vatican.
Patriarch Alexy II also said in the Feb. 22 letter to the pope that he
was
convinced defending Christian values in contemporary society should be
a
priority for both churches.
"I hope that the rapid resolution of outstanding problems between our
two
Churches will also contribute to this end," Alexy wrote in thanking the
pope
for a letter he sent to mark the patriarch's birthday.
Benedict, who has pledged to make healing strained ties with the
Orthodox
Church a "fundamental" commitment, in his letter repeated his call for
the
two churches to improve their relationship.
"Gestures and words of renewed fraternity between the pastors of the
Lord's
flock indicate a more intense collaboration in the truth and in charity
will
help increase the spirit of communion that should guide the paths of
all
baptized," Benedict wrote.
The pope's predecessor, John Paul II, never fulfilled his dream of
visiting
Russia following the 1991 Soviet collapse because of disputes between
the
two churches, which have been split since the Great Schism of 1054.
Alexy has ruled out a papal visit, accusing the Catholic Church of
proselytizing in Russia.
The Vatican says it is only ministering to Russia's tiny Catholic
community - about 600,000 people in a country of about 144 million.
The Russian Orthodox Church, which claims two-thirds of the country's
population as well as millions in neighboring countries as followers,
is the
largest in the Orthodox world.