From May 24th-26th Pope Francis is scheduled to visit the Holy Land alongside Bartholomew I (the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople). A pope’s trip to the Holy Land is always noteworthy, and a meeting between the Pope and the Ecumenical Patriarch is always momentous as well. However, the past few months have increased the significance of this historic visit.
The increasing vulnerability of Christians in the Middle East and the recent announcement of the Pan-Orthodox Council makes Pope Francis’ trip and meeting with Bartholomew I even more timely. The meeting between Pope Francis and Bartholomew I also marks the 50th anniversary of Pope Paul VI’s meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I in Jerusalem in 1964. That historic meeting led to the lifting of the mutual anathemas of 1054.
I doubt we will see anything substantive from this meeting. Regardless, the logo and motto on the official website for Pope Francis’ trip to the Holy Land shows that ecumenical relations are central to the Holy Father’s visit.
As you may know, Ut unum sint (That they may be one) was an encyclical by Pope Saint John Paul II on ecumenical relations. It called for a reexamination of papal primacy and closer ties with other Christian communities, particularly the Orthodox.
As the Pope’s visit draws near I pray that Pope Francis’ trip may strengthen the faithful, foster tolerance, and deepen Orthodox-Catholic relations.
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