The end of state atheism in Russia in 1991 and the return to Christian faith in that country, at least in a modest way, in the years since -- opinions on the extent of Russia's religious renewal are sharply divided -- seemed something impossible in the 1960s, 1970, 1980s...
Pope John Paul II fervently desired that change so that Europe might regain its spiritual health and "breathe with two lungs" -- Eastern as well as Western, Greek as well as Latin, Orthodox as well as Catholic... despite all the centuries of division and mistrust since the "Great Schism" of 1054.
In the long process of this new "breathing" a special moment occurred on September 29 at Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome.
On the morning of September 29, Benedict XVI welcomed the Orthodox Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Patriarchate of Moscow’s Department for External Church Relations -- the equivalent of the "Foreign Minister" of the Russian Orthodox Church (photo above).
It was the third meeting between the Pope and the Metropolitan, following Hilarion’s election as the Department’s leader.
Hilarion gave Benedict as a gift an icon of St. Benedict of Norcia, who is of course Pope Benedict's patron saint (because the Pope's name is Benedict), and the Pope received the icon with pleasure.
A remarkable video
Here is a remarkable video which shows the Pope meeting with Hialrion and greeting his entourage. It is worth the 60 seconds it takes to view it:
(The Russian delegation on the terrace of the papal palace at Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome after meeting with Pope Benedict.)
During his visit to Rome on September 28, Hilarion met with Cardinal President Kurt Koch at the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, to discuss the future of cooperation between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
During the meeting, “the protection of Christians and the overcoming of Christianophobia” were discussed.
Obstacles remain
After the meeting with Pope Benedict, Hilarion gave an interview to Vatican Radio where he outlined some of the problems that continue to remain preventing the full reunion of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches -- the "two lungs" which Pope John Paul hoped would soon "breathe together."
One problem is that the Orthodox themselves are divided into 16 different Churches, and have not settled certain internal questions of authority.
One special date to note: May 2013, when celebrations are scheduled recalling the end of the decades of terrible persecution of Christianity in the Roman Empire 1,700 years ago. In 313, the Emperor Constantine issued his "Edict of Milan" declaring the Christian faith legal in the Roman Empire. (There were no more Roman governmental persecutions after that, except briefly under the rule of Julian the Apostate in 360 A.D.)
The Orthodox are planning a great gathering in 2013 in Nis, Serbia, to commemorate the Edict of Milan, because Nis is the birthplace of the Emperor Constantine.
And there is some talk -- not confirmed -- that the Orthodox may invite Pope Benedict to attend that celebration, which would then become the first meeting ever between a Roman Pope and a Russian Orthodox Patriarch.
This would be a symbolic moment, in a world which is turning once again against Christianity, with legal restrictions against the teachings of the faith rising in the West, and persecutions occurring in various places around the world.
So let's keep watch for developments on this front.
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