Pope and Patriarch: Common cause

Patriarch Kirill  (Photo by Kremlin.ru)

There is an old saying:  The enemy of my enemy is my friend. And sometimes that’s what it takes to bring two factions together:  a common cause.

Nicole Winfield of the Associated Press explains that “the persecution of Christians - Catholic and Orthodox – in the Middle East and Africa” has led to an upcoming historic meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill.  Because the Church split wide open during the Great Schism of 1054, there hasn’t been such a meeting between Pope and Russian Orthodox Patriarch ever.

Next week marks a new beginning between East and West. On his way to Mexico, Pope Francis will stop in Cuba and meet with Patriarch Kirill at the Havana airport.  Putting aside “core disagreements” for now, the two will focus upon saving Christianity “in the regions where it is subject to most severe persecution.”

It's a start.  As Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 12: Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.  May these two vital parts of Christ’s Body continue to pull together for the good of the whole.

Resources

http://www.post-gazette.com/news/world/2016/02/06/Pope-Russian-Orthodox-patriarch-to-meet-in-historic-step/stories/201602060073 

Copyright February 7, 2016 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved