Pope Francis And Russian Orthodox Patriarch To Meet 'Historic' Meeting In Cuba
After nearly a thousand years of being drifted apart, the Catholic Church and the Russian branch of the Orthodox Church will finally have a historic chance of mending broken ties since the Great Schism of 1054.
"This event has extraordinary importance in the path of ecumenical relations and dialogue among Christian confessions," remarked Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi as quoted saying by ABC News.
On 12 February, the Catholic pope and the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill are scheduled to meet for a rare 2-hour private discussion in Havana, Cuba which will be followed by a signing of declaration by both parties.
"[The meeting] will mark an important stage in relations between the two Churches. The Holy See and the Moscow Patriarchate hope that it will also be a sign of hope for all people of good will. They invite all Christians to pray fervently for God to bless this meeting, that it may bear good fruits," the joint statement of the Holy See and the Moscow Patriarchate as quoted by NPR.
What will the two leaders talk about?
Despite the non-closure of the deep rifts that continue to divide Christendom, both leaders have agreed, at least in principle, to set aside doctrinal differences and primarily discuss issues concerning the persecution and apparent genocide of Christians in the war-torn regions of the Middle East and North and Central Africa by radical jihadists.
"The situation shaping up today in the Middle East, in North and Central Africa, and in some other regions where extremists are carrying out a genuine genocide of the Christian population, demands urgent measures and an even closer cooperation between the Christian churches," said Senior Orthodox cleric Metropolitan Hilarion as mentioned in a report by Yahoo News.
