A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY
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| Volume 7 Number 3 - Tuesday, January 18th, 2005 |
A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY |
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The Orthodox Christian Laity
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The Orthodox Christian News Service |
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By BRIAN
MURPHY ATHENS, GREECE - A long-desired trip by Pope John Paul II to Russia could only occur if the Vatican renounces efforts to expand Rome-affiliated churches in traditional Christian Orthodox areas, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church said. The condition set by Patriarch Alexy II — contained in a reply to questions from the Associated Press — reinforces previous statements and suggests Russian Orthodox leaders have not been swayed by recent Vatican overtures that have included the return of an important icon and the relics of two Orthodox saints. Before a papal visit to Russia can be considered, "it is essential to renounce the proselytism which is being carried out . . . by numerous representatives of the Catholic clergy," Alexy wrote. Eastern Rite churches — which retain Orthodox traditions but are loyal to the Vatican — are one of the thorniest issues blocking attempts to heal the nearly 1,000-year-old division between the world's 1 billion Roman Catholics and more than 200 million Orthodox. The churches have grown since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 and many senior Orthodox clergy accuse the Vatican of trying to encroach on historic Orthodox lands. Alexy said the Eastern Rite churches "only deepen the divisions between Orthodox and Catholics." The pope has pushed ahead with attempts to reach out to Orthodox. He has made history-making trips into mostly Orthodox nations since the late 1990s.
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