rain of defections of the heads of the Christian churches

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis, after the Angelus, implored the faithful to pray for the success of a meeting between the leaders of the Christian churches that he called in Bari, but on which already weighs the outline of bankruptcy, the chain of defections that accumulate, starting with that of Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, who will send a delegate in his place. Same for the Serb Patriarch Ireneo and the Armenian Patriarch Karekin II

"I am going to Bari next Saturday with many Christian leaders and Christian communities from the Middle East -" said Pope Francis, looking through the window of the apostolic palace – Vivremo a day of prayer and reflection on the still dramatic situation of this region, where so many of our brothers and sisters in the faith continue to suffer, and we will implore one voice: "Peace be upon you ". I ask everyone to accompany with prayer this pilgrimage of peace and unity. "

The intention of the appointment to Bari, the city of St. Nicholas, central figure of all spirituality Orthodox, was to give a signal of unity to the whole world, an example of concord.Instead, the divisions within the Orthodox world continue to widen gaps and the time for reconciliation does not seem yet ripe , especially between Constantinople and Moscow.

Divisions between Catholics and Orthodox, beyond good human relations The years were built by Francis, they are rooted in the distance.The figure of the Pope, above all, with his centrality, then the discipline of marriage, the Marian dogmas (Immaculate Conception and Assumption) and all the doctrines that were decided after 1054 (Eastern Schism) .For the Pope, the churches of Orthodoxy are willing to recognize a primacy of honor, but not a primacy of jurisdiction, that is to say of the government. Jurisdiction in the Orthodox Churches belongs to the Synod. In short, a theological puzzle that can hardly be resolved quickly.