[Magdalen] A sitting president travelling to Cuba.

[Cantor03 at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/17/2016 11:30:32 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
mjl at ix.netcom.com writes:


(If  the pope and Russia's patriarch can have a historic meeting, IN CUBA 
yet!, I  say this one should be a hoot.)>>>>>>
 
If the weekly reports on the Orthodox sent to me by my childhood
friend, Peter Anderson, are correct, there is more to this meeting  than
meets the eye.  Peter is a Roman Catholic with a special  interestin
RC - Orthodox relations.
 
There has been a lot of tension the last few years between the  Patriarch
of Moscow, and the "Ecumenical" historic Patriarch of Constantinople
(Istanbul).  The center of the Orthodox population is now back in  Russia,
and the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarch is very small.  He is  
really
a figurehead sitting as he does in an 87% Moslem country. 
 
The Russian Patriarch has jumped into this void, and has acted  unilaterally
to strengthen his position as the real Ecumenical Patriarch.
 
It's all very Byzantine.
 
In any case, it would seem that the Pope's meeting Moscow separately
like this in Cuba are evidence that Moscow continues to operate as  greatest
among equals on the Orthodox scene.
 
 
 
 
David Strang.