Catholic World News News Feature

Orthodox prelate working for Rome-Moscow summit June 12, 2007

The Orthodox Archbishop of Cyprus, Chrysostom II, will meet Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday, June 16. Archbishop Chrysostom hopes to arrange a "summit meeting" between the Pope and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexei II.

The head of the Orthodox Church in Cyprus is visiting Italy for several days, during which time he will be presented with an honorary doctorate from the Pontifical Urban University.

Upon leaving Rome, Archbishop Chyrsostom will travel immediately to Moscow, where he will meet with the Russian Orthodox Patriarch. The Cypriot prelate, who describes Patriarch Alexei as a "good friend," told the Italian newspaper L'Espresso that he believes the time is ripe for a meeting between the Pope and the Patriarch, and will do his best to arrange that meeting.

Church officials sought on several occasions to arrange a meeting between Pope John Paul II and Patriarch Alexei. However, the Russian prelate backed away from plans for a summit, insisting that the Vatican must end Catholic "proselytism" in traditionally Orthodox countries before a meeting could be scheduled.