Pope Benedict XVI sent his greetings to the Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople on November 30, 2009, as the Ecumenical Patriarch celebrated the feast of St. Andrew, the patron of Constantinople, according to the Vatican news service.
In his message to the Orthodox leader, the Pope spoke of the "urgency" of pursuing Christian unity, saying that the Christian world must speak with one voice in response to today's challenges.
Pope Benedict said, "Our Churches have committed themselves sincerely over the last decades to pursuing the path towards the re-establishment of full communion, and although we have not yet reached our goal, many steps have been taken that have enabled us to deepen the bonds between us."
The Pope also congratulated Patriarch Bartholomew for his outspoken statement in defense of the natural environment, and said that he hoped to "work together in drawing attention to humanity's responsibility for the safeguarding of creation."
Somehow, I have a feeling that Pope Benedict's "urgency" for Christian unity will result in a rapprochement of Catholic-Orthodox relations. Could it be that Pope Benedict is contemplating easing the process of Catholic-Orthodox unity, as he recently did for Anglicans to become Catholics? Let us know what you think of this "urgency" by posting a comment.
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