Pope to Pope: Let Our Churches Be United By Christ's Love
Two popes sat side by side before a crowd of rain-soaked pilgrims in St. Peter's Square May 10. Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II, patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt, was at the Vatican to mark the 50th anniversary of a joint declaration signed by St. Paul VI and Pope Shenouda III in 1973 outlining the beliefs shared by their churches. Before his general audience, Pope Francis embraced Pope Tawadros and kissed his encolpion, an icon Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic bishops wear instead of a pectoral cross. During the audience, the two publicly exchanged greetings and took turns addressing the crowd.
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