[ALBSA-Info] Greek Orthodox church says Pope can visit

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

Greek Orthodox church says Pope can visit

By Dina Kyriakidou
  
ATHENS, March 7 (Reuters) - The conservative Greek Orthodox church broke a 
long tradition of antagonism with the Vatican on Wednesday, saying Pope John 
Paul could visit Greece and realise his dream of following in the footsteps 
of the Apostle Paul. 

The Vatican welcomed the move, saying it had met the Pope's expectations. 

The decision clears the way for the pontiff's visit and signals a tentative 
conciliatory approach towards Roman Catholicism after centuries of hostility 
between the two churches. 

"(We) do not wish to object to granting the Roman Pontiff his wish, 
especially as it is primarily and solely a pilgrimage," the Holy Synod, the 
Greek church's governing body, said in a statement. 

The two churches have been split since the Great Schism in 1054 divided 
Christianity into Eastern and Western branches and the visit had in the past 
come up against Greek church objections. 

The 80-year-old Pope plans to travel to Syria and Malta in late April or May 
to follow the footsteps of Paul, who was converted to Christianity on the 
road to Damascus and travelled through southern Europe, including Greece, 
preaching the gospel. 

The Greek government has invited the Pope for what would be the first ever 
visit by a pontiff in Greece but the Vatican had asked the Greek church if it 
had any objections before planning the trip. 

In a statement, chief Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said: "Today's 
decision meets the expectations of the Holy Father and will be received with 
feelings of gratitude, even because of its ecumenical significance." 

The spokesman said the Vatican hoped to be able to formally announce the trip 
soon. 

STILL COMPETING 

The two churches still bicker over each other's influence in former communist 
countries, especially over Balkan churches that worship in the Orthodox 
manner but owe allegiance to the Pope. 

Greek Archbishop Christodoulos indicated on Sunday that despite the problems, 
the Holy Synod would not put up obstacles to a visit initiated by the Greek 
government. 

"Of course, if he wants to come, our door is open. We will not refuse," 
Christodoulos said. "He is not asking for our invitation. It has been secured 
from the Greek government. It appears enough for him. What he is asking us 
for is our opinion, whether he can make the trip without causing us 
problems." 

The Greek press reported that some bishops dissented during the Holy Synod 
meeting but the decision to lift objections to the Pope was in the end taken 
unanimously. 

Vatican sources said they were still awaiting for a formal response and the 
Holy Synod statement issued a veiled warning that it would not allow the 
visit to take on overly religious overtones. 

"The faithful Greek people are called to trust the church leadership...and 
not to be swayed by exaggerations of the real dimensions of the visit, which 
will possibly be attempted," it said. "(We) have never feared a challenge." 

President Costis Stephanopoulos extended the Pope an official invitation to 
predominantly Orthodox Greece, which has a tiny Catholic minority, during a 
visit to the Vatican in January. 

The Pope, who has made efforts to reconcile Christian churches, was the first 
Roman pontiff to visit a mainly Orthodox country since the Great Schism when 
he travelled to Romania in 1999.