Francis’ extended hands ” “

A positive opinion on the apostolic exhortation “Evangelii gaudium” was conveyed also from the Orthodox world. “It is a strong message, written with a decisive style”, said Bulgarian Orthodox theologian Kalin Yanakiev, who described Pope Francis as “the Bishop of Rome of mercy and extended hands” who denounces “with courage the failures inside the Church and in the world”. Yanakiev, renowned theologian and philosopher, is a professor at Sophia’s “Saint Clement of Ohrid” University, chief editor of “Christianity and culture”. He is the author of numerous publications on Orthodox spirituality. What impressed you the most in the “Evangelii gaudium”?”The missionary trait of this document is impressive. Pope Francis underlined that the entire Church and her structures must undergo a missionary transformation. This appeal for evangelization, with a spirit of joy and mercy, seeking utmost dialogue with the external world is very important. Also the denouncement of the elitist element present also inside the Church is striking. It is a document with strong messages, written with a decisive style. In the next issue of the magazine ‘Christianity and culture’ we will publish an excerpt of the text”. Francis said that “as Catholics engaged in the dialogue with our Orthodox brothers we are given the opportunity of learning more about the meaning of Episcopal collegiality and the experience of synodality”. What do you think about it? “In his effort to strengthen the autonomy of national bishops’ conferences the Pope naturally extends his glance to the Orthodox Church, marked by traditional Episcopal synodality. For the Orthodox Church every bishop is a shepherd in the universal Church as a he is a shepherd in his own diocese, part of this Church. It should also be said that every coin has two facets: sometimes the lack of true synodality is signaled in Orthodox countries, just as criticism of the Church’s excessive centralization is conveyed in West European countries”. In the apostolic exhortation is reiterated the need of a “conversion of the papacy” remembering that we “have not advanced much in this direction”. “As we know this is the weak spot in the dialogue between the Catholics and Orthodox. The good will shown by Pope Francis to seek an updated formula on the papacy in order to make it acceptable also by the Orthodox is laudable. John Paul II said that the Bishop of Rome represents unity, since he is the shepherd of the Universal Church. For Orthodox ecclesiology, however, every bishop is the successor of Peter as he is the successor of the apostolic mandate. Moreover, in the first millennium the Orthodox recognize the ‘primatus directionis’ and ‘primatus inspectionis’ of the Bishop of Rome. It must be admitted that in ecumenical dialogue great progress has been made especially thanks to the initiative of the Catholic Church. The Orthodox world greatly welcomes also the fact that Pope Francis prefers to present himself first as the Bishop of Rome”. What do you think of Pope Francis?”He is a Bishop of Rome of mercy, of extended hands, who does not hesitate to use even strong words condemning the wrongs inside the Church and in the world, as the denunciation of the current economic system that he defines ‘inhuman’. This makes the figure of this Pope original and very interesting”. Vatican-Moscow relations are undergoing positive developments. There is talk of a meeting between Francis and Russian Patriarch Kyrill on ‘neutral grounds’ in the near future. If this should happen, what would be its impact on the rest of the Orthodox world? “Such an impact would certainly have a strong positive impact on the Orthodox world because Moscow’s Patriarchate has a significant influence in the area and undoubtedly it’s the most numerous Orthodox Church. In order to make significant steps in ecumenical dialogue, valid for the entire orthodox world, the Orthodox Church should first of all reach an agreement on a set of fundamental issue at internal level. Lately there has been much talk of an impending pan-Orthodox Council: the question of where to hold it and who should preside over it remains open. In this respect the differences between Moscow and Constantinople remain too strong”.