SW News: Imitating his illustrious predecessor Pope St John Paul II, the Holy Father Pope Francis sought forgiveness for the shortcomings of the Church that led to the rupturing of communion with the Greek Church. The Holy Father alluded to the mistakes made in the past that affected the ties between both Churches during his meeting with His Beatitude Archbishop Hieronymos II, the Archbishop of Athens and the head of the Orthodox Church in Greece, at the Archbishopric in the nation’s capital on Saturday, December 4.

“Tragically, we grew apart. Worldly concerns poisoned us, weeds of suspicion increased our distance and we ceased to nurture communion,” said Pope Francis. He quoted Saint Basil the Great, saying that true disciples of Christ are “modeled only on what they see in him”. The Holy Father said certain actions and decisions of the Catholic Church in the past did not reflect Jesus and His Gospel. A thirst for advantage and power, gravely weakened communion with the Greek Church. “I feel the need to ask anew for the forgiveness of God and of our brothers and sisters. Yet, we are comforted by the certainty that our roots are apostolic and that, notwithstanding the twists and turns of time, what God planted continues to grow and bear fruit in the same Spirit,” said the pontiff in the throne room in the presence of Archbishop Hieronymos and other Greek and Roman Catholic prelates.

The pope made this historic admission after the head of the Orthodox Church in Greece revealed how the past actions of the Catholic Church and its aloofness from Greece’s struggle for independence in the 19th century deeply hurt believers. The prelate also expressed hope that Pope Francis would acknowledge it and make amends to heal the wound and bring both Churches together. During his pontificate, Pope St John Paul II had asked forgiveness for the role of the Latin Crusaders in pillaging Constantinople, the headquarters of the Greek Church, in 1204.

The Holy Father brought in the image of olives that are common to Roman and Greek cultures. The pontiff said olive oil once illuminated nights throughout history and it was known as the ‘liquid sun’. It is also the symbol of the Holy Spirit, who gave birth to the Church. The pope said only the Paraclete can dispel darkness and illuminate the journey towards complete communion.
He said for this, the Holy Spirit is known as the ‘oil of communion’ that makes the face of people radiant. He also said that fraternal communion showers blessings of God. He exhorted everyone to fearlessly help one another to worship God and to serve their neighbor. “I pray that the Spirit of love will overcome every form of resistance and make us builders of communion,” he said.

In his address to the Holy Father, the Greek top prelate welcomed the pope to the archbishopric that is near the sacred rock of the Acropolis near which St Paul the Apostle preached about the Unknown God, who is Jesus Christ. At that time, there was an altar there dedicated to the ‘Unknown God’. He used its symbolism to preach Christ Jesus. He also told the Holy Father that Greeks are helping migrants and refugees in all ways they can. However, he made it clear that the Pope must use his international stature and clout over the powerful nations to take proactive steps to restore peace, order and security in Asian and African countries in order to stem the exodus of migrants and refugees, which is a growing issue in Europe.

Archbishop Hieronymos also said that the dynamic head of the Roman Catholic Church should acknowledge the marks missed and the omissions of certain predecessors who remained aloof from the Greek freedom struggle, that is celebrating its bicentenary.  He expressed hope that the pontiff knows how to shake off the burdens of the past, especially those connected with the Greek uprising.

During the interaction between the top leaders of both Churches, the archbishop gifted the Pope a plaque depicting St Paul preaching the Gospel in Athens and in return, the Holy Father gifted the top prelate a copy of the Codex Paulus. It was published on the occasion of the 2000 anniversary of the birth of St Paul. Running into 424 pages, it contains copies of manuscripts from the Abbey of St Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, especially of a copy of the Bible that is more than a thousand years old.