ianniscarras on "The Pope and the Patriarch"

ianniscarras — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 17:23:20 +0000

The article by Michael Walsh reveals a rather poor knowledge of the Orthodox Church.

First the Ecumenical Patriarch was elected mainly because he was the only viable candidate, not because he was anti-Turkish. On the contrary, the only other candidate, the then Archbishop of America, Iakovos, was a far more political contender, but though apparently supported by the United States, he was opposed by Turkey and this seems to have been one of the reasons why he was not chosen.

As Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew is first among equals of other Orthodox Patriarchs. That means his leadership is entirely spiritual. Indeed he is not even allowed to intervene in the diocese of other Bishops, let alone Patriarchs, as all Bishops in the Orthodox Church are considered equal (he can however coordinate groups of Bishops to deal with specific issues in other dioceses when problems arise as recently vis-�-vis the Patriarch of Jerusalem).

Any visitor to the Patriarchate will immediately see that the lack of any worldly power has made it into a very spiritual place, a marked difference from many other Orthodox Patriarchates. Bartholomew�s main contribution in a field related to politics has been to work ever since his election on the theology of the environment, raising awareness of the importance of God's creation through his voyages, usually by ship, throughout the Orthodox world.

The structure of the Orthodox Church of course means that it is a very slow moving body because it is not directed centrally like a state, or indeed like the Vatican. But things do move, if at a snail's pace. It is interesting to note that the Archbishop of Athens, usually considered a nationalist, is the next senior Orthodox prelate that is off to see the Pope. Indeed here in Greece one recent opinion poll suggested this Pope with his firm grasp of theology and interest in dialogue is surprising popular. I am not in a position to comment on Russia, though I imagine hostility to Roman Catholicism runs deeper there, perhaps a result of the fear that is still a feature of a Church which has been so infiltrated in its upper echelons by the secret services of the former Soviet State.

There is still far too much theological and emotional work to be done to consider reunion any time soon, but it is impossible to be an Orthodox Christian and not to wish for the reunion of the Christian Church. It took 600 years for the Eastern and Western sides of the Church to drift apart, 1054 being only a nominal date that conceals more than it enlightens. It seems somewhat silly of the author to imply that moving together again can happen in just a decade or so. It is beyond doubt however that the warm meeting of this remarkable Pope with this remarkable Patriarch has shown the way forward, and it is a hopeful way.

Iannis Carras,

Athens, Greece.

KVB Tharoor on "The Pope and the Patriarch"

KVB Tharoor — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 11:40:17 +0000

In the ninth century, the Bulgar khan Boris tried to play off Rome against Constantinople, seeing whether the Pope or the Patriarch would grant more in terms of symbolic power and access to his rule. Boris' letter to Pope Nicholas I (and Nick's subsequent response) remains one of the most revealing windows into the murky realm of medieval networking.

Like Boris' fledgling Bulgaria, Turkey stands at a crossroads. The EU seems to beckon, yet internal resistance is mounting to the perceived recalcitrance of European views of Turkey. The diplomatic and political battles waged in the next few years, one imagines, will be as intricate as the Pope and Patriarch's ancient contest over Bulgar souls.

The Pope and the Patriarch, Michael Walsh

Mon, 04 Dec 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Turkey was as important for Catholic-Orthodox dialogue as for European-Turkish, says Michael Walsh. But in healing one breach did it open another? Read the rest of this post...

open Democracy News Analysis - The Pope and the Patriarch, Michael Walsh - Comments

ianniscarras on "The Pope and the Patriarch"

KVB Tharoor on "The Pope and the Patriarch"

The Pope and the Patriarch, Michael Walsh