Report: Russian Orthodox Church distances itself from Ecumenical Patriarch’s meeting with Pope
May 27, 2014
A leading official of the Russian Orthodox Church said that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I represented only his own Patriarchate of Constantinople, and not the world’s other Orthodox churches, in his meeting with Pope Francis, according to a report from the Religious Information Service of Ukraine.
Metropolitan Hilarion, the chairman of the Russian Orthodox Church’s Department of External Church Relations, said that the Ecumenical Patriarch had not consulted with the leaders of other Orthodox churches before meeting with the Pope, according to the report.
The Ecumenical Patriarch holds a primacy of honor among the Orthodox churches, the largest of which is the Russian Orthodox Church.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
-
Posted by: jeremiahjj -
May. 27, 2014 6:30 PM ET USA
The Orthodox schisms aren't as bad as the rest of Protestantism, but any divergence of opinion that impacts unity hurts the Body of Christ. The Orthodox churches can't speak with one voice, and that's a shame. It's also one of the things wrong with Orthodoxy. Hopefully, Patriarch Bartholomew will not let this latest affront keep him from working toward unity. One step at a time -- always forward -- is better than one step forward, one backward as the Russian church would have it.
