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GREEK PATRIARCH WELCOMES ROMAN PONTIFF
CHURCH UNITY ORIVE
GATHERS STEAM
The pope has moved boldly to heal the 925-year-old rift with the Orthodox community. Joint
commissions between Rome and majar Protestant bodies are producing breakthroughs. Overtures
have been extended to non-Christians. Where is the ecumenical movement headed?
SENT THIS TIME
were the
umultuous outpourings of ad- .
ulation in cvidence on his
earlier visits to Mexico. Poland and
the United States. Extreme security
measures virtually hid him from pub–
líe view.
But by his own admission, this was
Pope John Pau l ll's most important
trip to date.
It
took him not to a land of the
February 1980
by
Gene H. Hogberg
faithful, but to Turkey- a nation
whose population is more than 98
percent Moslem. The'pope called his
three-day visit there in late Novem–
ber and his religious "summit" with
Greek Orthodox Patriarch Deme–
trios 1 "my first ecumenical visit"
and a "journey of a brothcr."
Of all his travels, this particular
visit had the most clearly defined
purpose. On it the pope showed that
he is determined to do all he can to
end what he calls the "intolerable
scandal" of the divisions of the Chris–
tian-professing world.
The Flrst Major Step
Turkey was chosen as the first major
step along the long road to reunifica–
tion for one special reason.
John Paul 11 has made reunían
with the 15 independent branches of
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