The Pope the Patriarch and Putin - Alf Cengia - http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=8197
Historically there are understood to have been three major rifts in the church. The first one was in 1054 AD which involved Christianity splitting into two divisions: Eastern (Constantinople) and Western (Rome). It is referred to as "The Great Schism." The second rift was the splitting away from the Catholic Church during the Protestant Reformation of the 1500s.
The Great Schism of 1054 was driven by a range of issues. Among these includes a cultural divide over things like languages (Latin v Greek), baptism, celibacy, the calculation of Easter, whether priests should grow beards or not and the alleged worship of Icons, etc.
There was a major theological debate regarding the Trinity and the Holy Spirit. The Western Church taught that the Holy Spirit is sent by both Father and Son; whereas the Eastern Church insisted the Holy Spirit is sent only by the Father through the Son.
There were also disputes over the pope's claimed infallibility, the structure of patriarchal authority and, of course, politics. Western and Eastern branches of the church were typically involved in the politics of the times. Nothing much has changed.
Dialogue between the Eastern Orthodox Church and Rome began some 50 years ago (in 1964) when:
"...Pope Paul VI and Greek Patriarch Athenagoras met in Jerusalem. The next year, in simultaneous ceremonies, the two men undid the excommunications of 1054 that had set the schism in motion."
Now, fifty years later, politics and conflict (Syria, ISIS and Christian genocide etc) have been catalysts for a further meeting. This time it was between Rome's Pope Francis and Eastern Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Russia, which took place at Cuba's international airport.
In 2013 Pope Francis met with Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople and members of the Eastern Orthodox Church in a gesture of reconciliation. But the Russia Orthodox Church branch resisted the overture then. This is why some pundits see this meeting between the pope and the Russian patriarch as historically significant. Following their two-hour airport interlude, a joint statement was issued:
"The Holy See and the Moscow Patriarchate hope that it will also be a sign of hope for all people of good will...They invite all Christians to pray fervently for God to bless this meeting, that it may bear good fruits."
While most see the pope's efforts as part of his peace-making reconciliatory nature, others also recognize his Jesuit side; and, of course, the politics. Francesco Sisci notes the historical roots of what Pope Francis is doing. He cites the Middle East conflicts and the "confrontational" policies and failures of the US and its allies in working with Russia and China.
Sisci believes Pope Francis sees a global leadership vacuum. He notes that the church: "spoke for peace in the run up to World Wars I and II." The pope wants to move the Holy See back into the limelight and the church back into the world prominence it enjoyed during the Renaissance. Sisci writes that:
"His [Pope Francis'] forward-looking energy resembles that of the Jesuits in 16th century, the Franciscans in the 13th century - or Paul in the 1st century. Those periods also mirror present times. Five centuries ago, Rome was under siege by the Protestants in the north and the Muslims in the south and east. The Jesuits, in response, moved eastwards. It echoed the search during the Middle Ages for Prester John, a fabled, but mythical Christian king of Asia."
It's notable that Sisci mentions the run ups to World Wars I and II. As of writing there are murmurings that Saudi Arabia is siding with Turkey and entering the Syrian conflict. Given Russia's deep commitment to Syria and Iran one must wonder how it will respond and what this will mean for the region?
There are those who believe that - in meeting with the patriarch - the pope has made a diplomatic concession to Putin. One columnist notes that Putin "has come as close as no Russian ruler since the czars to making Orthodox Christianity the state religion" and wanted the meeting to take place. Alexander Baunov of the Moscow Carnegie Center is cited as saying:
"Putin needs a meeting between the Pope and the Patriarch more than ever before. The political West is openly hostile toward Russia and toward him personally. It's all the more important to show that the traditional, religious West is not as hostile. There are two specific issues on which this lack of hostility was especially important to demonstrate: Ukraine and Syria. Given the Pope's dovishness, Russia's tough military action in both countries would seem to be a hard sell. Amazingly, in the joint declaration signed after the Havana meeting, Pope Francis appeared to have gone along with the Russian patriarch's views."
Ana Nemtsova (The Daily Beast) believes the Kremlin enlisted the Russian patriarch in order to bring the pope on side, for similar reasons which Francesco Sisci cites. She raises some points worth noting. Among them (and most ominously) there's the chatter of the possibility of a Third World War. Nemtsova writes:
'...momentous as the meeting may appear in ecclesiastical terms, much of the impetus for it was purely political at a moment of dangerous confrontations and delicate diplomacy between Russia and the West. As some influential voices in Moscow have started talking about the risk of a Third World War, the pope and the patriarch spoke of the need to protect "the future of human civilization."' (Emphasis mine)
One Russian analyst even claims that colleagues have been burying canned foods in their gardens in preparation for the "black day" when war begins. Escalating events do suggest we are witnessing a run up to another World War.
Church leaders concerned about peace will work towards promoting it. But it seems to me that the Vatican and the Eastern Orthodox Church are being drawn (read used) into political intrigues and relationships which they were never biblically meant to be involved in (see the Great Commission Matthew 28:19-20). Protestant churches have fallen into these same traps.
If history is an indication, the pope and the patriarch's involvement won't contribute any meaningful outcome. In two thousand years the church hasn't been able to broker permanent peace, nor usher in anything like the kingdom of God as described in Scripture. In fact the world has descended further into godlessness.
The dynamics driving the Middle East conflicts are Islamic and resistant to any peace overtures, let alone papal. Its tentacles have reached a West in denial. These dynamics also involve historical and irrational hostilities against Israel and the Jews.
It is significant that many are concerned about another World War and that the major part of the conflict is located in the Middle East. It is also noteworthy that modern Israel is at the center of the conflict and that it has been demonized by churches, individuals, organizations and other nations.
And it's no coincidence.
Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. Zechariah 12:2-3
Time is running out.
Let's pay attention and keep looking up.
Pope Who Lives Behind Giant Walls says Trump's Wall is Not Christian - By Paul McGuire - http://www.newswithviews.com/McGuire/paul280.htm
As a Christian I am deeply troubled by Pope Francis, who lives in Vatican City, which has the most restrictive immigration and citizenship policies in the world, and accuses presidential candidate Donald Trump of "not being a Christian" for wanting to build a wall to protect the American people. First of all, the Pope is protected by a private army and lives safely behind far bigger walls than Trump plans to build.
Jesus Christ said "judge not, that you be not judged." Pope Francis said in answering a question about Donald Trump that "a person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian." One can only assume that Pope Francis does not understand that Donald Trump is acting on the Bible's commandment to "love your neighbor as yourself" by wanting to build a wall to protect law abiding Americans of all ethnic groups and nationalities from crime, terrorist infiltration, and economic destruction. The Pope fails to understand that "building a wall" is an act of love because in order for us to "love our neighbors as ourselves" we must first keep them alive and safe, along with making it possible for them to earn a decent standard of living so they can feed, clothe and house their families.
Vatican Wall
Not building a wall to protect the American people is an act of selfishness, allowing peace and security only for the very wealthy like the Pope who has a private army and lives in a secure and somewhat restricted area, along with movie stars, politicians, and the super-rich bankers and corporate CEOs. By not building a wall our political leaders make it possible for terrorists to come across the border and slaughter men, women, and children or potentially detonate a nuke in an American city. Is it Christian or loving to not protect people from evil?
Building a wall insures economic stability so that Americans of all races and even mothers of small children are not forced to work two jobs to provide for their families due to low wages caused by the labor surplus, which is caused by unrestricted legal and illegal immigration. Is it love to force mothers, fathers, and single women to work multiple jobs so that they have no time to spend with their children? Is that real love?
Of course we should have compassion for those who are less fortunate, but the question is how do we really help them? I do not hear Pope Francis speaking out against the corruption in Mexico and other Central and South American nations, which is causing people to flee their nations and come across the border. Pope Francis accuses Donald Trump of not "building bridges" but instead "building walls," which implies that he is unloving and selfish and thus not Christian. But to truly love our neighbors as ourselves our actions should actually help our neighbors, whether in our nation or nations across the border, with economic plans that allow them to break free from poverty and become prosperous. This is exactly what Donald Trump is proposing: economic solutions which actually will increase wealth, jobs, and opportunities for the common man. That is love in action.
Conversely, Pope Francis advocates economic solutions based on socialist and Marxist principles which have never solved the problem of poverty in any nation where they have been tried. In fact, the socialist economic solutions Pope Francis has proposed have increased poverty and suffering in every nation where they have been tried, without exception.
Jesus Christ said "we are to judge a tree by its fruit." What Trump is proposing, including building a wall, both protects people and alleviates economic suffering by giving ordinary men and women the opportunity to improve their lot in life. What Pope Francis is proposing simply brings all men and women, with the exception of the one percent at the top, to a far lower standard of living, which increases human suffering. I am not going to judge the validity of the Pope's faith, but I can judge the merits of Donald Trump's economic proposals, and what I see is love in action. By advocating policies that will improve the standard of living for people on both sides of the border and protect them from crime and terrorism Donald Trump (whatever his private beliefs may be) is applying Christian principles to government.
Pope declares Trump "not Christian" - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com
The Pope has said that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is not Christian because he advocates building a wall to protect the US borders from illegal immigration. AP reports that Pope Francis said: "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the gospel." Apparently, Pope Francis doesn't know his Bible. I am not aware that Jesus or the disciples built physical bridges in the gospel. There are, however, references in the Bible where God's people rebuild the wall in Jerusalem to protect it from invaders. The Pope's replacement theology says they don't count. Also, have you seen the wall around the Vatican?
Politics or replacement theology, the Pope is wrong on both accounts. He is not a citizen of the US and has no say in our elective process other than to sway blind followers or communist think-alike leftists who subscribe to his brand of socialist "religion." Keep in mind that the Pope has all but admitted he is a socialist and remember that the socialist/communist manifesto bans all religion and morals. As Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other." So which is it Francis, communism or God; socialism or God; politics or God; twisted theology or the Holy scriptures; mammon or God?
To his credit, Trump didn't hesitate to call out the Pope on his folly. AP reports that Trump shot back within minutes, saying, "For a religious leader to question a person's faith is disgraceful," he said at a campaign stop in South Carolina, which holds a key primary on Saturday. "I am proud to be a Christian and as president I will not allow Christianity to be consistently attacked and weakened." The AP reporter aboard the "Papal Plane" revealed his bias and added, "The rare back-and-forth between pontiff and presidential candidate was the latest astonishing development in a U.S. presidential race that has been roiled by Trump's freewheeling rhetoric and controversial policy proposals, particularly on immigration."
It seems that anyone who challenges the media's concept of socialism or socialism's spokesmen, is "freewheeling" and "controversial." There is no greater controversy than the leader of an entire religion who twists God's word into what he wants it to be and believes that allah and YHVH God are the same. On Wednesday, March 20, 2013, Pope Francis welcomed an ecumenical group of religious leaders who attended his inauguration by saying, "I greet and thank cordially all of you, dear friends belonging to other religious traditions; firstly the Muslims, who worship the one living and merciful God, and call upon Him in prayer." And the Pope has the audacity to say Trump is not a Christian because he wants to build a wall?
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