Pope, Orthodox Patriarch pledge to support Mideast Christians

Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I (R) and Pope Francis wave on November 30, 2014 after a celebration of a divine liturgy at the Orthodox Patriarchal Church of St. George in Istanbul. AFP Photo

Pope Francis on Nov. 30 issued a strong pledge of support for the embattled Christians of the Middle East and urged an end to the millenium-old schism between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches, as he wrapped up his first visit to Turkey.
      
The trip of the pope to Istanbul has been marked by attempts to reach out both to Muslims and other Christian confessions.
      
The pope Sunday attended a divine liturgy led by Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I, the latest sign of the warming ties between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches under his papacy.
      
Bartholomew, the "first among equals" of an estimated 300 million Orthodox believers, made a joint pledge with the leader of the world's Roman Catholics to support Christians in the Middle East, saying they could not let Christianity be driven out of the region.
      
"We cannot resign ourselves to a Middle East without Christians, who have professed the name of Jesus there for two thousand years," the Church leaders said.        

Referring to the rampage of violence by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) jihadists in Iraq and Syria, they warned that Christians in the region were being persecuted and forced from their homes.
      
They said the "terrible situation" of Christians calls "for an appropriate response on the part of the international community."      

 he two church leaders also called on the parties involved in the Ukraine conflict "to pursue the path of dialogue and of respect for international law".

Pope urges healing of Catholic, Orthodox split
                      
Pope Francis in an address at the Patriarchate also urged an end to the Orthodox and Catholic schism to bring them back into full...

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