East Matches West when you look at the Jerusalem: Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew
When Pope Francis fits which have Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew We off Constantinople inside Jerusalem May twenty-five, the newest meeting will mark the fresh 50th anniversary of one’s 1964 conference in identical put between Pope Paul VI and you will Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras away from Constantinople, the 
It conference supplies the opportunity to lay the latest phase to have future affairs, because Eastern and you may Western Places of worship have not been joined while the Leo IX occupied the Settee out of Peter in 1054.
Even in the event Eastern Orthodoxy and you will Roman Catholicism have now been separate to possess many years, there’s not ever been an official split between them. Regarding fourth to the 11th century, the fresh East and you will Western Places of worship drifted farther aside, for many different explanations, until when you look at the 1054 good papal diplomatic purpose to Constantinople clashed bitterly into the patriarch, leading to mutual excommunications.
Right away away from Pope St. John XXIII’s pontificate (1958-1963), ecumenism try a major top priority. John XXIII earlier got supported for years since papal nuncio to help you greatly Eastern Orthodox Chicken and you will Bulgaria. At the beginning of 1959, the brand new Holy Father therefore the Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I exchanged authoritative delegations, the initial such as for example much more than 400 decades. The new Orthodox was in fact desired to deliver perceiver on Next Vatican Council, that they performed.
S. citizen, with his experiences in the us most likely produced your unlock so you’re able to ecumenical relations by the point he had been opted “ecumenical patriarch” (“along side whole world”) from inside the 1948
Athenagoras (1886-1972) came into this world out-of Albanian origins from inside the part of Greece you to upcoming belonged to the Ottoman Kingdom (after Turkey).
