Alchemy between Francis and Bartholomew ” “

Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew are together again. This time they’re in Istanbul to celebrate the feast of St. Andrew, Patron saint of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople at the Phanar, Sunday, November 30. It is the “main reason” that brought Pope Francis in Turkish grounds (the visit will take place November 28 to 30 with a busy program that includes official meetings and religious gatherings, as well as a meeting with the majority Muslim community). “It is a great honor to receive the first among all the bishops of Christianity, Pope of Rome”, said Metropolitan Athenagoras of Belgium, Exarch for the Netherlands and Luxembourg and member of the Holy Synod. He added: “The fact that the Pope has accepted the invitation of Patriarch Bartholomew has filled us with joy”. What are the expectations for this new meeting? “The world knows that Francis is a Pope of humility and openness; a Pope who wants to make new steps. We hope that this meeting will give new impetus to the dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches. We have an extreme need of it. We cannot remain at the first meeting 50 years ago between Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras. We must move forward. I think it’s very important to show to the world that our dialogue is not static but rather a dynamic dialogue”. Which steps are you thinking of? “We have not yet reached the point of restoring full communion between our Churches. Unfortunately we have not yet reached this point. I cannot tell. New steps arrive spontaneously. We always expect a miracle. The miracle is awaited and it comes by the grace of God”. Are you more optimistic today as regards the future of Communion between the two Churches? “Optimistic? I always hope. It can be said that the Catholic Church and the ecumenical patriarchate can always count on honest interlocutors, deeply committed in dialogue. It is necessary to continue along this road so that these relations may continue to grow thereby enabling to make new steps”. Patriarch Bartholomew and Pope Francis seem to be very united… “I would describe it as a special alchemy. Their mutual relationship is very important. It isn’t fabricated or artificial. That’s why I believe that we can expect something new”. What do the Pope and the Patriarch have in common? “They both have a nature outstretched toward the truth, they are two authentic people: how they behave with others coincides with what they truly are. They both have a natural inclination in their relations with other people. And they both have the same propensity to look at the world as it is, and to identify its problems. This is why they urge the Church to act to ensure that God’s presence is preserved in this world. They are aware of the fact that many people are leaving the Church, that they turn their backs and lives to the Church as if God did not exist. It’s a great challenge and a great pain. I was an observer at the Vatican during the Synod on the Family. It is very important today to have the courage to go towards our faithful, welcome them, listen to them and give pastoral responses. I found the discussion on remarried divorcees very interesting. Why not give them a second chance, given the fact that refusing communion makes them feel rejected and marginalized? It is a problem that challenges not only the Catholic Church: as Orthodox Church, we also face the challenge of married priests who experience the same problem”. Peace is also a challenge. What can Christian Churches do together? “I believe we must first witness as Christians that our division gives this world a weak witness. As the late Ignatius IV, Patriarch of Antioch and Greek-Orthodox Patriarch of All the East said, we must celebrate Easter together because not doing so is perceived as a scandal, especially in the Middle East. Our joint voices must also be heard. I live in Belgium, in the heart of the construction of the European Union: together, as Christians of different denominations,s we must make European political leaders aware of the tragedy of Christianity in the Middle East, in the land that was once the cradle of Christianity and which today risks being emptied of Christians. And from the Phanar Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew will launch together a common message”. Will they launch an appeal for peace in the Middle East? “I’m not sure about it. I’m not aware of the content of the message they have probably already written. But I’m sure that the Pope and the Patriarch will make an appeal for the Middle East, most of all, they will ask for peace and respect for Christians in Syria and Iraq”.