Orthodox - Catholic Unity??

Since I started this blog two years ago, I've included a number of posts on the expanding dialogue between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches and the growing sense that unity, long thought to be impossible, just might be getting a jump-start by the Holy Spirit. And why shouldn't it happen? After all, Jesus prayed that His Church might be united and we know his prayer is always efficacious.

Well, the movement toward unity continues. Zenit News (a news service out of Rome) reported the following on August 24 about a meeting between representatives of the Russian Orthodox and Catholic Churches in Rimini, Italy:

Metropolitan Filaret and Cardinal Erdo embrace in Rimini

ROME, AUG. 24, 2010 (Zenit.org).- High-ranking representatives of the Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches embraced on Monday in a moment reflecting a will for unity between the two Churches.

A photo of the embrace between Cardinal Peter Erdo and Metropolitan Filaret was printed with the title "Europe's Brothers."

The embrace between the two high-level representatives was a highlight of the 31st Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples, an annual event sponsored by the Catholic Communion and Liberation Movement in Rimini, Italy.

The cardinal and metropolitan made their embrace of unity as they joined in a debate on the topic "Can An Educated Man, a European of Our Days, Actually Believe in the Divinity of the Son of God, Jesus Christ?"

Cardinal Erdo is the archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Hungary, and the president of the Council of European Bishops' Conferences (CCEE). Filaret is the metropolitan of Minsk and Sluzk and Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus.

I recommend you read the rest of the article. Chick here: Catholic, Russian Orthodox Churches Embrace.

And then be sure to read Deacon Keith Fournier's personal take on this remarkable move toward unity after more than 1,000 years of separation: May the Two Become One.

Pray for unity...Jesus did.