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Mar 25th, 2025
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I just read on a Greek news website that Archbishop Christodoulos will be visiting the Pope in the Vatican on December 14. I have been looking for an article in English, but haven't yet found one. When I do, I will post it. This is wonderful news!  In Christ, Alice
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Dear Alice,
The English article appeared on one of the Catholic news and the link to article was posted about a month or so ago in this section.
In IC XC,
Father Anthony+
Everyone baptized into Christ should pass progressively through all the stages of Christ's own life, for in baptism he receives the power so to progress, and through the commandments he can discover and learn how to accomplish such progression. - Saint Gregory of Sinai
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Alice does this look to you as an honest attempt to try to heal the rift? I certainly hope so.
Hope all is well after your accident.
Stephanos I
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What's going on? First the Pope and Patriarch visited last week, Archbishop Christodoulos is visiting the Vatican next week, and the Patriarch is going to visit the Pope in Ravenna early next year. Things seem to be going good between Old and New Rome. Looks like things are looking up! 
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Sorry Father Anthony, my memory isn't that sharp anymore! I can hardly remember what I ate yesterday, no less remember threads on this forum from a month ago! *WINK*
It was actually announced that the Holy Synod has officially accepted the invitation in today's edition of Kathimerini in Greek.
Regards,
Alice )
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Dear Father Stephanos,
Thank you for asking...thank God, I walked out without a scratch, and thank God, so did the teenager and the adult with him.
I think that the movement towards unity is moving ahead.
Infact, my husband spoke with his cousin in Athens today, who has always been avant-garde, and was dismissive of Christianity...until now!
It seems that he was so impressed that the Pope had the courage to call Constantinople by its rightful name, and by his reciting the Lord's Prayer in Greek, coupled with the apology of John Paul II in Greece for actions of crusaders upon Constantinople centuries ago, that he officially declared today that he is once more considering Christianity!
In Christ,
Alice
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This appeared on 12/02 in a number of sources. Below is the Catholic Online reportage. http://www.catholic.org/featured/headline.php?ID=3856Patriarch Bartholomew I on the Papal Visit 12/2/2006 - 7:00 AM PST Interview With Orthodox Church Leader ISTANBUL, Turkey, DEC. 2, 2006 (Zenit) - Benedict XVI's visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople "is of incalculable value in the process of reconciliation," says Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I. In this interview with the Italian newspaper Avvenire, the patriarch revealed that he made an unexpected ecumenical proposal to the Pope. Q: What can you tell us about this journey? Bartholomew I: Above all, I must say that I truly thank His Holiness for his visit to us on the feast day of St. Andrew. It is a truly very significant step forward in our relations, and undertaken in the framework of a journey which has made, on the whole, a contribution to interreligious dialogue which I think is truly important. Q: You and the Pope have seen one another face to face several times, away from the cameras and journalists. What have you said to one another? Bartholomew I: His Holiness showed his benevolence to the patriarchate and its problems; for this reason we are truly grateful to him. It has been an opportunity to know one another better, including the cardinals of his entourage, with whom I think we have established a good friendship, and this also seems to me to be very important. We can truly say that this Thursday we lived a historic day, under many aspects. Historic for ecumenical dialogue and, as we saw in the afternoon, historic for the relationship between cultures and religions. And, obviously, because of all this, historic also for our country. Q: The addresses and common declaration you signed are "lofty" and compromising. Have you also spoken of the future? Bartholomew I: In this respect, I can say that I spoke with His Holiness of something -- something that we could do. I presented him with a proposal which I cannot now elaborate on, as we await an official response, but I can say that His Holiness was very interested and that he received it favorably. We hope it can be undertaken as it is directed to that ecumenical progress that, as we have affirmed and written in the common declaration, both of us are determined to pursue. Q: Why are you so determined? Bartholomew I: Unity is a precious responsibility, but at the same time a difficult one which must be assumed if it is not shared between brothers. The history of the last millennium is a painful "memory" of this reality. We are profoundly convinced that Benedict XVI's visit has incalculable value in this process of reconciliation, as, in addition, it has taken place at such a difficult time and in very delicate circumstances. Without a doubt, with the help of God we are offered the opportunity to take a beneficial step forward in the process of reconciliation in our Churches. And perhaps, with the help of God, we will be given the opportunity to surmount some of the barriers of incomprehension among believers of different religions, in particular between Christians and Muslims. Q: Earlier you also mentioned the importance of this for Turkey. Why? Bartholomew I: Being at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, this city and this Church hold a truly unique position to foster a meeting among modern civilizations. In a certain sense, Istanbul is the perfect place to become a permanent center of dialogue between the different faiths and cultures.
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Praise God for the wonderful effects of grace that the meeting between Patriarch Bartholmeus and Benedict Pope of Rome.
We can only pray that TODAY is the day that the Lord has made for the occasion of reunion.
May God's grace prevail and hopefully we will not get in the way.
Stephanos I
I have planned to do a local exchange here between the Greek Church and ours on the occasions of St Peter and Paul and St Andrew. Wouldnt it be great if every Latin and Greek Church began this coustom.
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The Holy Spirit is a mov'n all over this land!
Glory to God!!!
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Thank you and Glory to Jesus Christ!
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With fervent hope the warmth the Greek Churches display in meetings with the Church of Rome will rub off on the other Orthodox Churches. First the Patriarchate of Constantinople and, now, the Church of Greece! This will be the first official visit of Archbishop Christodoulos, the Primate of Greece, to the Church of Rome from December 13 to 16, 2006. Various news agencies bannered the impending official visit of the Primate of the Church of Greece to Rome. ZENIT yesterday gave some details of the official visit: Code: ZE06120406
Date: 2006-12-04
Orthodox Archbishop of Athens to Visit Pope
Would Be Greek Primate's 1st Official Trip to Church of Rome
VATICAN CITY, DEC. 4, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Orthodox Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece will visit Benedict XVI and the Church of Rome from Dec. 13-16, the Vatican announced.
The archbishop's visit is taking place after the Pope and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople signed a common declaration on Nov. 30 in Istanbul, giving strong impetus to the search for unity between Catholics and Orthodox.
Although the archbishop was in Rome for John Paul II's funeral, it will be the first time that the primate of the Greek Orthodox Church visits the Pope and Church of Rome officially, said the Vatican press office in a statement today.
The Holy Father will receive Archbishop Christodoulos and his entourage on Dec. 14 in the morning and, during a ceremony in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, will give him part of a chain kept in the basilica -- which, according to tradition, was used when St. Paul was held prisoner.
During the Orthodox archbishop's visit to Rome, the Pontifical Lateran University will confer an honorary doctorate on him.
The archbishop and his entourage will also visit some of the holy sites of Rome, such as the basilicas and catacombs.
The Vatican reported that on Nov. 3, the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Greece expressed its "joy at this visit, the fruits of which will be positive."
In recent years, relations between the Greek Orthodox Church and the Holy See have improved significantly.
The new era of relations began with John Paul II's pilgrimage in 2001 in the footsteps of St. Paul, during which he visited the Areopagus of Athens and signed a joint declaration with Archbishop Christodoulos.
Subsequently, there has been an exchange of visits between delegations of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Greece to Rome and of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, headed by Cardinal Walter Kasper, to Athens. Judging from the sessions of the International Commission in Belgrade last September, I think most of the 14 autocephalous Orthodox Churches have come to one mind as far as the ecumenical talks with the Catholic Church is concerned. In an unprecendented move, the representatives of the Orthodox Chnurches present during the Belgrade meeting voted 12-1 (the Patriarchate of Bulgaria was not present) in favor of the status of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (Constantinople) as having the primus inter pares, or primacy of honor, among the Orthodox Churches to the chagrin of the Moscow Patriarchate whose representative moved for a vote on the issue. Thus, for now the EP will be the lead Church in the ecumenical talks with the Catholic Church objections by the Church of Russia to the contrary notwithstanding! Hope springs eternal!
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Daily, I ask St. Seraphim of Sarov to intercede on behalf of Moscow and Rome. I believe his intercessions are powerful.
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To all this, I would like to add that it was the visit by Pope John Paul II to Greece that gave impetus to what is occurring. Decades ago, only Greece, of all the Orthodox countries, was adamently opposed to the lifting of the anathema's by the then Patrarch and Pope. When Arch. Christodoulos was elected Archbishop, things began to change. He worked quite hard in Belgium to get Christianity mentioned as the basis of European civilization. But of course it failed, to his chagrin.
I can recall the disgracful actions of the Greek press at the time, as well as the actions of some monks. Things changed though, when the Pope visited, and I can't help but feel that each time he kissed the ground of some land, it was given a special blessing. Hmmm! Maybe that's why Pope John Paul II wanted so badly to visit Russia?
Well, the Greek people have always been close to the Italians, and have quite an affinity towards them. I guess the attack by Mussolini in the Second World War has finally worn off, because they are the one's pushing for unity. As one Greek priest said, I guess it must be the Holy Spirit.
Zenovia
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Sounds like the makings of a tune there Pani Rose.
Stephanos I
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