Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew decisive cooperation to bring the Catholic and Orthodox Churches closer

Arriving in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew highlighted their decisive cooperation to bring the Catholic and Orthodox Churches closer and to promote theological dialogue, as well as their efforts regarding migration and to mitigate the repercussions of environmental destruction, in statements on Saturday to the Italian news agency ANSA.
Referring to Pope Francis as “brother”, Patriarch Bartholomew noted that a meeting between them had been planned in May on the 1,700-year anniversary of the 1st Ecumenical Synod but “the God of life and death decided otherwise”.
The Ecumenical Patriarch said that they had both “walked the path of making the powerful of the world and every person of good will aware of the refugee and migration problems,” noting the joint message they had sent from the island of Lesvos to help people understand that “behind the numbers there are the faces of our hurt and frightened brothers.”
He also noted the challenges they faced as heads of their churches in a troubled world with multiple conflicts, including their efforts to tackle the destruction of the environment and the repercussions of climate change.
“We shared common viewpoints on the need to protect the Creation of God, to preserve our common home, at a time when the planet is daily experiencing environmental degradation and the repercussions of climate change, the result of our selfish behaviour,” the Ecumenical Patriarch said.

Source: amna.gr