wfn.org | Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Meets with Catholic Cardinals

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Keeler and McCarrick

                    GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA
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NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:
March 8, 2002
Contact: Nikki Stephanopoulos
c-917-903-1255
Web site: www.goarch.org/usvisit2002

                 ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW MEETS WITH
             CARDINALS KEELER AND McCARRICK AND APOSTOLIC NUNCIO

New York, NY ? Warmth and cordiality marked a meeting of Ecumenical
Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians
worldwide, and
William Cardinal Keeler, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Baltimore; Theodore
Cardinal McCarrick, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Washington, DC; Archbishop
Gabriel Montalvo, Apostolic Nuncio and Directors of Offices of United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops, on Wednesday morning in Washington,
DC. His All Holiness was in Washington, DC beginning a six-day visit to
Washington, DC, Boston and New York City.

Joining His All Holiness were Archbishop Demetrios, Primate of the Greek
Orthodox Church in America, Archbishop Leo of  Karelia and All Finland,
Archbishop Gennadios of Italy and Metropolitan Apostolos of Moschonision,
members of the Patriarchal Hierarchy.

In his welcome, His All Holiness, referencing the ongoing dialogue between
the Orthodox and Catholic Churches, said, "We meet with you today with
great willingness and joy and we thank you for this opportunity to
communicate with you spiritually. Your invitation demonstrates your sincere
desire for the cultivation and development of inter-Christian dialogue. In
our present day when so much effort is expended on inter-religious
dialogues and the creation of a spirit of mutual understanding of one
another and the peaceful co-existence among nations of religious
persuasions that have little in common with Christianity, we, as Christians
are charged by God himself to restore our unity, so that the world will
believe in the divine mission of the Church of Christ. (John 17,2)"

Cardinal Keeler, a longtime friend of His All Holiness who had hosted the
Ecumenical Patriarch in Baltimore during his visit to the United States in
1997, responded warmly to the Ecumenical Patriarch's remarks.  The ensuing
hour-long discussion centered on issues of concern to all, including the
role that religious leaders must play for healing and reconciliation in the
aftermath of the September 11th tragedy.

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