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Dear Forum Members,

I am disappointed that our late beloved Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, did not get to fulfill his desire to visit Russia. In past posts, I had expressed how much I personally had desired and prayed that the Holy Father would visit Russia and personally return the icon of Our Lady of Kazan that had been in the Vatican for a little over ten years. Even when he decided to send the icon back via a delegation, I had hoped that such a gesture would open the door. I had read that Catholics in Russia were praying a decade of the rosary each day for a papal visit.
I had become convinced that it would happen.

I believe that a visit by Pope John Paul II would have been very significant for the following reasons:

1) John Paul, being a Slav of Polish origin, of course knew a lot about Eastern Christianity. He had a great love, respect, and admiration for the liturgical and spiritual traditions of the Russian Church.
2) He played a key role in the collapse of communism, first beginning with his native Poland and dominoeing to Russia. What a sight it would have been to see John Paul visiting the Kremlin!
3) According to the late Sister Lucia, Pope John Paul fulfilled the request of Our Lady of Fatima in consecrating Russia to her Immaculate Heart in March 25, 1984. Media coverage of a papal visit of Russia would surely have made mention of this.

Of course, a papal visit to Russia is possible by a future Pope, maybe by the soon-to-be elected successor to John Paul II, but in my opinion it will not have the same impact, unless it turns out to be Cardinal-Patriarch Husar who is elected Pope!

Needless to say I am annoyed at Russian Patriarch Alexei for the �conditions� he placed before such a visit could take place, such as denouncing the expansion of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Ukraine. I am glad that the Pope did not acquiesce to such requests.
I am happy that the Pope did not allow such opposition prevent his visit to Ukraine, which I was overjoyed to see.

Assuming that the Pope John Paul II had visited Russia, what would have been the impact from such a visit?

I appreciate your thoughts.

May Our Lord bless you.

griego catolico

Aloha,

Howzit ! Right it is definetely a sad unfilled dream for our Great Pontiff. May the next Great Pontiff fullfiled his dream.

I deeply regret that John Paul II did not visit Russia.

I hesitate to say this, because one might assume then that I am suggesting that Orthodoxy is in need of "reform," which I am not really saying: but had John Paul II visited Russia, there might have been some great working of the Holy Spirit in Russian Orthodoxy.

Though Orthodoxy in Russia now enjoys freedom, there is still a great need to evangelize Christians. Not everyone agrees how to do that. Catholics who remember Vatican II will be wary of suggesting that the Russian Orthodox "reform" their Church.

There is the question of liturgy, so rich & beautiful for those who know, but too long and incomprehensible for many young people.

Only a small percentage of Russia's population attends church.

I pray daily that I will see reconciliation between Catholicism and Orthodoxy in my lifetime. The Church is so much more than the sum of its parts, and I believe that Catholicism separated from Orthodoxy is missing something.

Had John Paul II gone to Russia, the Holy Spirit might have worked in the hearts of the faithful and the clergy there, and there might have been some definite steps taken towards reconciliation.

It will take the Holy Spirit, as well as the influence of "giants" like John Paul II to overcome the mistrust & bad feelings. The issues are so complex, e.g. how to minister to the Roman Catholic faithful (many of whom are descendants of Poles & others who were deported to Siberia by the tsars or the Soviets) without infringing upon the needs & sensibilities of the Orthodox. There are no simple solutions to such problems.

We can try to educate Cathlics about some of these issues, but the best solution is to pray for the working of the Holy Spirit.

Stojgniev

Dear Griego Catolico, I applaud your remarks and I too belive it casts a dark shadow on the Patriarchate of Moscow. One of the reasons I left the Orthodx Church was what I deem "extreme" paranoia, fear of the Pope and the Vatican. For years I would read in the Orthodox publications about the Orthodox and Catholic dialogue and it would never move from there, and I began to realize that the Catholic Church was not at fault in this. Even here in America, the Orthodox say they are united, the sad reality based on my experience in ROCOR, OCA, Antiochian parishes etc, is the respective churches are united only when "necessary." The other reason is the Orthodox will not or cannot tolerate the Eastern Rite Catholics at any level. I would joyfully give thanks to God if the Orthodox and Catholic Churches are united and establish communion with one another, but I will not hold my breath, I also see the unification of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches as a benefit to this world and all of humanity, what wonderful work both could accomplish as one faith, one church! I became weary of reading articles repeating the same things over and over from the Orthodox, yet still standing still and not budging. And I find it "sinful" that Pope John Paul the Great wasn't allowed to visit Holy Russia because of the "conditions" set forth by the Russian Orthodox Church. One of the things that attracted me to the Catholic Church was the constant coverage by the media of the late Pontiff, he went everywhere and visited all he could, Pope John Paul the Great was not to me just the Catholic Pope, he was everybody's Pope, he loved all humanity. I've said this before and I will say it again, I sometimes believe the Orthodox are happy just staying in their churches and Patriarchates and not letting the media report in the lives of the Orthodox. Of course if you are Orthodox, then you have the publications of your jurisdiction, then you are in the "know" so to speak, but what about disgruntled Protestants (I know many!) and the youth! The list is endless, I continue to pray for the unification of both churches and an end to the endless "excuses" to proceed with the love of Christ.

From your mouth to God"s ears. Amen

pray without ceasing...

Seraphim41,
For those of us who are still Orthodox, it is Good Friday, and it behooves me to pray and not type at great length.


> I became weary of reading articles repeating the same things
> over and over from the Orthodox, yet still standing still and
> not budging.

"Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever", we read in the Holy Scriptures. You should read the writings of Saint Mark of Ephesus about union (if your present faith doesn't object to that).


> And I find it "sinful" that Pope John Paul the Great wasn't
> allowed to visit Holy Russia because of the "conditions" set
> forth by the Russian Orthodox Church.

As an apostate from the Orthodox Church, you would find it "sinful"; clearly, you have no liking for your former Faith.


> One of the things that attracted me to the Catholic Church was
> the constant coverage by the media of the late Pontiff,

So if you lived before mass media, you may not have been attracted to the Catholic Church?

Photius