Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox patriarch Kirill to hold historic meeting in Cuba

Pope Francis will travel to Cuba later this month to meet Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox church, the first such encounter of its kind in history, the Vatican has announced.

The pope will arrive in Havana on 12 February and be greeted by Cuba’s president, Raul Castro, before holding a private meeting with Kirill. It will be the first time a pope has met a Russian patriarch and shows a significant warming of relations between the two churches since they split almost 1,000 years ago.

Coming after two years of diplomatic talks, the event was of “extraordinary importance”, Federico Lombardi, the Vatican’s chief spokesman, said.

The meeting will take place in a room at José Martí international airport and last almost two hours, a considerable length of time given that the pontiff usually meets world leaders for less than an hour.

a reply to: 2012newstart

1 step closer to 1-world religion lol

not

thank you for the star. The topics are more to be announced than the 2 hours. So I guess the two leaders of 2 biggest Christian churches will skip thorny questions of church building ownership in Ukraine, and will concentrate on the main issues before humanity. Do they know something more that we don't? As for example a coming cataclysm/chastisement? Will fatima be discussed, or not now?

How about to announce a new spiritual era to start in the world by accepting some basic agreement, or even as radical as new gospel that tells additional details of the life of Jesus Christ?

This is unique chance for the world, both as politics and as religion. Let not be missed only for historic photos. The Russian patriarch is not just a spiritual leader of the second biggest Christian church, but also a close friend to the Russian president.

Cuba is chosen also on purpose. A landmark of division in the Cold War and one of the most dangerous crisis the world ever encountered, now it becomes a meeting place of the pope (2nd in 6 months) and patriarch who also comes for a second time. The first time then metropolitan Kirill consecrated the first Orthodox cathedral in Latin America, in the presence of Medvedev then president, and the president of Cuba Raul Castro. That coincided with the months long voyage of two Russian nuclear ships to Venezuela and Nicaragua.

The world needs change and better that change to come as result of peaceful agreement and FAST ACTIONS following immediately after. Perhaps the two big have their plans for that, otherwise why to bother making the show and spending the airplanes' fuel on environment.

a reply to: 2012newstart

I seriously doubt Kirill will agree to any unification with this Pope in charge of the Western church. The Russian Orthodox church isn't having any part of a liberalized Roman Catholic church and would only consider unification once the civil war in the Vatican is over and then, only if the Orthodox Roman Catholic side were to win. Actually it can't because unifying with a liberalized Roman church would undermine the Russian Orthodox traditionalism which has made the Russian church the power house it is in Russian society today, (along with Putin's help and patronage). The Russian Church won't do anything that would jeapordize its power base. And honestly? They don't need to. As things stand now, they're probably sucking more Roman Catholics into the Russian Orthodox Church. I know that's true for the Greek Orthodox church, at least here in Texas.

a reply to: 2012newstart
Thank you for sharing. Could this be a prelude to the end of the Great Schism? The Dawn of the Great Accord? As to why, I have to wear my tinfoil hat for that.

a reply to: TonyS

I agree, to the point of purely religious matters.
The meeting goes beyond that. is clearly political, perhaps under direct orders of Putin. Kirill served as foreign minister of the Russian Church before being elected patriarch, and he met in that capacity Benedict.

The Eastern churches may need an excuse to liberate themselves a little more in 21 century. Frankly on issues as second marriage (or 3,4) and married priests they are more liberal than the RCC.

A formal reunification, without any visible change in customs and rites, will make it possible for RCC to allow married priests and divorced people to remarry in church. But those are easy problems, on the background of much more serious concerns of the globalized world, WW3, or other things we are still not told of.

a reply to: MaxTamesSiva

Both the Orthodox churches and the RCC don't have too many options left. Although the pope gathers 20,000 - 50,000 crowds on ST Peter's and millions on his foreign trips (gathered and bused from everywhere incl neighboring countries), compared to the 1.2 bln catholics it is still no more than 1-2 percent fervent devotees.Countries in Latin America leak faithful to other churches on pace incomprehensible for traditionally catholic countries. Ireland voted for gay marriages. The list is long. On the trumped worldwide success, RCC keeps hidden deep controversies between top clergy of how the church should run. That do not start and end with the clergy sex.

Orthodoxy indeed keeps state-level importance in the East especially Russia and Greece. That doesn't mean every Russian is fervent believer. Estimates show 2 % of churchgoeers in Russia

That makes popes eager to win benevolence of patriarchs after the fall of Communism, with whom dogmatic differences almost do not exist.
A formal reunification will boost the positions of both the East and West Christianity without changing their difference.

The issue is highly politicized. If it happens it would be for such reasons, not for theology. It doesn't mean the Russian patriarch will bow down before the pope, in religious or in political meaning. Just the opposite, the pope will have to amend some of the controversial issues, one of which is his "primate" over patriarchs. Unlike Byzantium-Constantinople, Russia has never been "catholic" in her 1000 years history of Christianity and state. It would need big concessions from the pope, in order such formal primate to be allowed by the political leaders in Moscow.

originally posted by: FamCore
a reply to: 2012newstart

1 step closer to 1-world religion lol

not

If they are going to make a one world religion, they have to offer something better to the 7 bln embattled human beings, better than the fanaticism of 2000 years.

a reply to: 2012newstart

The fat controllers are not looking to Christianity as imposed one world religion.

Christianity can no longer be relied on to control the slaves whereas there is another religion with millions of adherents that have been so effectively indoctrinated that suicide bombing, complete abnegation of the self and the innate will to live, is deemed righteous and some quarters even desirable.

Hence the invasion of Europe.

originally posted by: teapot
a reply to: 2012newstart

The fat controllers are not looking to Christianity as imposed one world religion.

Weeell, set aside the discussion of Christianity as such that I just did in another thread(pls click on my profile). The so called controllers cannot double cross the religion that currently have 2.5 bln followers, 1.2 bln of whom at least formally belong to the Catholic church. That being said, the time is literally ticking for the leaders to make a difference. The last pope prophecy is currently known far beyond the Catholic inner circles. Time of change is Now. Regardless of whether it will be done on hi or not. 1/3 of the world cannot afford to be lied more in 21st century on a number of questions varying from abstract theology to practical implementation of teachings of Lord Jesus. I just discussed in another thread was he married, and some of the consequences to modern day Christians. If we were lied for so much by previous generations rulers, how can we believe anything else? Questions that should be asked and answered in first place by those vested in power. Again, it is too much invested not only as structure but much more as human potential, to be just cancelled overnight. Rather, the leaders will be changed. As the last pope prophecy speaks of such change to come to Rome. If Francis wants to negate the terrible prophecy, he should act much more actively according to what he himself has spoken. 3 years waiting are pretty much enough, after the 8 years of Benedict. (Francis could be elected instead of Benedict, scored second). What to wait for more? There is no more space, except for the case of a major event to come of the magnitude of the Flood that the leaders know of and we don't. Only in that way I could understand the apparent buying of time by popes and other religious and public leaders. Still, the change must come, even if we know we have only 1-5 years left, or exactly because of that. Much more, if there isn't such cataclysmic event on the horizon.

a reply to: 2012newstart


Reminds me of this song

www.youtube.com...


All is in symbiosis, as above so below. The All, Earth, Man shall one day resonate as One. When that is, no one can say.

When I refer to controllers, I do not necessarily mean the leadership of the catholic church but rather all liars that seek to control others.

As outsiders, none of us know if the pontiff and the patriarch will quietly pray together or if the meeting is entirely political. The politics will be reported on and the planned liturgical activities will no doubt be televised but we may never know if these two can gather together and pray.

Will he Consecrate Russia?

a reply to: cavtrooper7

the short answer to that question is NO. I have a long thread, not only one, and you are invited to read there. Fr Amorth expects Fatima to occur within months.

Meanwhile, let see the balanced private Catholic Spiritdaily makes a blow on UFO and Aliens, again. If the moderate catholic news outlets make that, how about the fanatic ones?

spiritdaily.com...

a reply to: 2012newstart
Is there a reason?
WHAT would be SO HARD about it?

a reply to: cavtrooper7

www.abovetopsecret.com... there is a big reason behind it, I invite you to browse my thread on Fr Amorth's latest revelations about Fatima gate.

a reply to: 2012newstart

Soooo ...the news already happened! Historic meeting first time ever! What does it mean for the world? Peace or authorization of war in the name of Christianity?

The Federal Writers Project of Florida released a book called Occult practices in Cuba, or something like that, you'll have to look it up. Anyway, if one were to puruse a sanctioned Luciferian Calendar and take note of some key dates, one would be able to draw their own conclusions as to the real reason behind the popes visit to this region at this particular point in our history, enough said.

Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill meeting came in a crucial time for the events in Syria. They backed the persecuted Christians, persecuted by Daesh but also by others. Currently there are two metropolitans held hostages in Aleppo by the forces opposite of Assad's. For reference, metropolitan is something as archbishop of major city. In the Orthodox church there isn't cardinalate, the metropolitans are electable for patriarch, although exceptions happen sometimes.

Does it mean pope Francis endorsed what Russia is doing right now in Syria? Although not said in political terms that seems to be a big push for the agenda of Russian and other Orthodoxy in the regions known as the first ever Christian lands long before the establishment of Rome as center of Western Christianity.

The idea of Christian unity is not new, divided after 1054 Schism into Western (Rome) and Eastern (Byzantium, others). Russia got its Christian baptism from Byzantium and never was under Rome rule. Nevertheless, the connections between Rome and Moscow patriarchate are sought for many popes after John XXIII.

Will Francis be finally successful in his ambitious plan of reforms? This meeting is one rare opportunity, one success that no pope before has done. Still there is a long way to go. Not only for Christian unity but also of what the Christianity means today. 20 centuries after the mission of Jesus Christ on Earth we have to ask ourselves, what it means to be follower of Jesus Christ? Only to keep a changeable set of rules that sometimes contradict? Or only the strive for a better place in the afterlife? While that all plays a role, undoubtedly, there should be sought a more visible and practical realization of God's kingdom while living on earth already 1980+ years after Jesus left this planet with his glorious body on Ascension Day.

Questions that cannot be put aside any longer, in the information age when we have already bits of information on what it could be on other planets as well. The idea that we hold God's finger here and now in the sacraments, undoubtedly played a vital role for the Church throughout those 20 centuries on planet Earth, and continue to do so now and in the future, IF THERE IS A FUTURE.

Still, what is the purpose of all that, if we find ourselves infront of a nuclear end game, not "Apocalypse of John" but practically the end of all life on the planet if we do not react. I do not advocate the End Times now. They may or may not happen now. But what could happen made by man's own hands, is the nuclear inferno to take out this planet for ever, or for long enough period of time when no life would be possible on the surface. The recent events in Syria and warnings from superpowers Russia's PM, tell us that is a very real scenario of a new mega war on Earth. No miracle should be expected to avert it, if the people themselves are those who make it, not God.

In case the peaceful efforts are unsuccessful, we have to think of moving to other secure places of survival. Such as underground, or better off-planet if and when such opportunity is offered to human race. It may be a short time offer! It may be only 3 days or less available window to leave everything behind and save not just ourselves but humanity and Christianity altogether! We are the Church of the living God, not the buildings. Saving ourselves, our families, we save the Church of God.

I don't know whether pope and patriarch discussed those topics. But they discussed for sure the world peace and possibility of mega war, therefore their warning. Perhaps not everything is being said in the media.