Benedict XVI Is Happy to Be Friend Of Controversial Patriarch of Constantinople

It was a very special gift of Providence that shortly after he started as a theology professor in Bonn (1959), two Orthodox archimandrites showed up to study at the Protestant and Catholic theological faculties there, writes Benedict XVI in a greeting on 11 October to an ecumenical meeting in Switzerland (VaticanNews.va, 5 November).

Ratzinger began a friendship with both archimandrites. Contact with Stylianos Harkianakis (+2019 as Archbishop of Australia) cooled, that with Damaskinos Papandreou (+2011 as Metropolitan of Switzerland) grew.

A euphoric Benedict writes: "The fruit of a living interior relationship with Orthodoxy has remained and continues to grow in the friendship that unites me more and more with the Ecumenical Patriarch."

The Orthodox subject themselves to the State. Further, one cannot speak of "the Orthodox" as there is no unity among them, for instances, the Russians are about to excommunicate the controversial Patriarch of Constantinople.

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Wilma Lopez shares this

3Nov 8, 2021

Benedict XVI has paid tribute to an Orthodox leader on the 10th anniversary of his death.

chris griffin

Nov 6, 2021

The Orthodox do permit divorce.

John A Cassani

Nov 6, 2021

This is true, but there is also no such thing as an annulment with the Orthodox, as they consider the matter of the Sacrament of Marriage to be the nuptial blessing. Instead, they have ecclesiastical divorce, which has, unfortunately, been allowed in an increasing number of circumstances in recent times. It is a fact, however, that Trent did not condemn the Orthodox position on indissolubility.

Scapular

Nov 6, 2021

Do the Orthodox condemn contraception?

Angelo Santelli

Nov 6, 2021

The Orthodox do not have the satanic pedophiia issue that the RC has.

Prayhard

2Nov 6, 2021

yes, they do. @Angelo Santelli sex crimes are certainly not unknown among the Eastern Orthodox. There are fair few sodomy cases with bishops and child abuse is certainly not unknown. Child abuse almost always means sodomitical acts against youths, and there is definitely a problem among their monkish bishops.