www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Pope in the U.S. and the Orthodox

Anyone have an explanation why the Pope will not be visiting any Orthodox Churches during this visit to the U.S.?

Possibly a full schedule on his part, or possibly he is afraid of disrupting Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday schedules for the parishes with all of the intrusive security that would be required. This is not the best time of year to be having him visit most Orthodox Churches. Remember this week is the beginning of the services for Holy Week for Orthodox Christians.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

This is almost certainly true.

I have heard of several Orthodox Bishops and Metropolitans who will be or who have already met with the Pope during his current visit to the United States.

Why should any explanation be required?

Father, bless !

Well said.

-- John

I was just watching a clip on CNN.com of Pope Benedict speaking to the United Nations and they panned to the crowd of bishops and cardinals and there appeared to be an Orthodox (or I guess he could be Eastern Catholic) Bishop.

I saw in the paper this morning that he met with some clergy and some of them were Orthodox. They had some sort of prayer service at St Joseph's Church. It is a German Catholic parish.

If that was the Saint Joseph's Church I'm thinking of (in lower Manhattan), it was Irish at one stage and German at another stage - it's an old, historic parish.

Fr. Serge

How many is "several" and who are they please.
I think Fr. Anthony has provided a very good answer. Because this is our Holy Week, most Orthodox hierarchy and clergy already have a very busy schedule .

Check your Jurisdicational website.

Here is the OCA news: www.oca.org [oca.org]

Article posted: 4/16/2008 1:38 PM
Printer Friendly Format

NEW YORK, NY [OCA Communications] -- His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman, will be among the Orthodox Christian hierarchs attending an ecumenical gathering marking Pope Benedict XVI's first US visit at Saint Joseph Roman Catholic Church, an historic German parish in New York, NY, on Friday, April 18, 2008.

Accompanying Metropolitan Herman will be Archpriest Alexander Garklavs, OCA Chancellor; Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky, Moderator of Christian Churches Together in the USA and the OCA�s Director of External Affairs and Interchurch Relations; Priest John Behr, Dean of Saint Vladimir�s Seminary, Crestwood, NY; Archpriest Chad Hatfield, Seminary Chancellor; and Archpriest John H. Erickson and Dr. Paul Meyendorff, members of the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation.

Pope Benedict, who arrived in the US on April 15, also is slated to visit Washington, DC before his return to Rome on April 20.

Here is the www.goarch.org [goarch.org] news:

Schedule of Events for Archbishop Demetrios of America for April 16 � 20, 2008

April 15, 2008

MEDIA ALERT

April 16-17 Washington, DC

April 16
10:30 a.m.
President Bush will welcome Pope Benedict XVI and invited religious leaders and dignitaries to the White House.

April 17
10:00 a.m. Archbishop Demetrios will attend the Papal Mass at Nationals Park.

April 18
6:00 p.m.
Archbishop Demetrios will attend a gathering for an Ecumenical Prayer Service with Pope Benedict XVI at St. Joseph�s Roman Catholic Church, 404 E. 87th St., NYC

Sorry, everyone - that's not the Saint Joseph's Church I was thinking of.

Fr. Serge

Here's information on the parish where the Ecumenical Prayer Service was held. St. Joseph's Yorkville:

http://stjosephsyorkville.org/

Agreed.