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Orthodox leaders pledge greater Church unity in Istanbul meeting
October 14, 2008

The leaders of world's 250 million Orthodox Christians pledged Sunday to work for greater church unity by overcoming internal differences through a spirit of love and peace.

Orthodox leaders pledge greater Church unity in Istanbul meeting

Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew had invited leaders to come to Istanbul to boost unity among a faith community riven by conflicting loyalties and power struggles.

Meeting in Istanbul to mark the second millennium since the birth of St. Paul, clerics representing 14 Orthodox churches voiced concern that the global financial crisis was widening a gap between the rich and poor.

Ending a three-day summit, the Orthodox leaders also declared their desire to advance dialogue with other Christian churches as well as the interfaith dialogue with Jews and Muslims.

A declaration issued after Sunday prayers said the Orthodox churches had reaffirmed their "unswerving position and obligation to safeguard the unity of the Orthodox Church ... by settling any problems that arise from time to time in relations among us with a spirit of love and peace."

The meeting was held at a time when the Russian and Ukrainian churches are locked in a dispute over the Ukrainians desire for independence from the powerful patriarchate in Moscow and shake off centuries of Russian influence. The Ukrainian church now answers to the patriarchate in Moscow.

The declaration by the senior clerics - including Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II - spoke of the need of "surrendering ... nationalistic, ethnic and ideological extremes of the past."

"For only in this way will the word of Orthodoxy have a necessary impact on the contemporary world," the clerics said.
 
Sunday’s statement also denounced the global financial crisis as a result of "manic profiteering and corrupt financial activity" and called for an economy combining "efficacy with justice and social solidarity."

It urged Orthodox churches to focus on efforts to protect the environment and highlighted plans to form a committee to study issues of bioethics, "on which the world awaits the position of Orthodoxy."

Besides Bartholomew I and Alexy II, the statement was signed by patriarchs and other senior clergymen based in Albania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Georgia, Greece, Egypt, Israel, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Syria and Turkey.

Orthodox leaders pledge greater Church unity in Istanbul meeting (http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/world/10103627.asp?scr=1)

Hindus laud Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed applauded the Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew for advocacy of inter-religious dialogue. He stressed that serious and honest interfaith dialogue was the need of the hour and Bartholomew should organise one.

CJ: Rajan ,  6 days ago 

HINDUS HAVE praised Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew for voicing the need of inter-religious dialogue and urged him to organise the much needed world religious summit.

Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (America) on Saturday (October 11), applauded the emphasis on inter-religious dialogue by His All Holiness Archbishop Bartholomew at the opening of three-day Synaxix at Istanbul (Turkey) on Saturday, which Bartholomew described as an 'obligation' and adding 'one that we must surely fulfill'.

Zed, who is the president of Universal Society of Hinduism, commended Bartholomew's statement on the occasion, "…we must develop initiatives of reconciliation wherever conflicts among people either loom or erupt… need to assume the role of peacemaker within a world torn by conflicts…."

“Serious and honest interfaith dialogue was the need of the hour and Bartholomew, who is Patriarch of the second largest Christian denomination of the world, should take the lead in organising one, and should invite leaders of major world religions and denominations to his Istanbul headquarters and initiate the dialogue,” Zed pointed out.

“Religion is the most powerful, complex and far-reaching force in our society, so we must take it seriously. And we all knew that religion comprised much more than our own particular tradition/experience,” Zed stressed.

Zed suggested that after intensive deliberations, this meeting of world religious leaders should come up with a concrete plan about the common religious concerns like human improvement, peace, ecological responsibility, social and economic development, etc. Maybe this gathering could become an annual feature after that, he added.

He further said that in our shared pursuit for the truth, we can learn from one another and thus can arrive closer to truth. This dialogue may help us vanquish the stereotypes, prejudices, caricatures, etc, passed on to us from previous generations. As dialogue brings us reciprocal enrichment, we shall be spiritually richer than before the contact.

His All Holiness, Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch is the 270th successor to the Apostle Andrew and spiritual leader of about 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide. Hinduism, the oldest and the third largest religion of the world, has about one billion followers. Moksha (liberation) is the ultimate goal of Hinduism.

Hindus laud Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew  (http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=144433)

Muslim cleric gets Russian Orthodox Church award
13/ 10/ 2008

MOSCOW, October 13 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's chief mufti has become the first Muslim cleric to receive an Orthodox award, an Orthodox Church leader said on Monday.

"The head of the Central Muslim Board of Russia, Talgat Tadzhuddin, has been awarded a Russian Orthodox Church order for 'promoting interfaith peace and accord," Archbishop Nikon told a conference titled 'Islam and the state.'

"The Russian Church expresses its gratefulness to Mufti Tadzhuddin for training Muslim leaders who contribute to interfaith cooperation by their activities," the archbishop said, reading out a congratulatory message from the Moscow Patriarchy.

Tadzhuddin, who has held his post since Soviet times, has been loyal to the Kremlin, condemning separatist fighters and extremists. The mufti has however been in the headlines in recent years for his remarks about plans for gay pride parades in Moscow.

The cleric is expected to receive the order of St. Prince Daniel of Moscow - famous for policies aimed at avoiding bloodshed during the Tatar-Mongol invasion of Russia - when he visits Moscow in the near future.

Muslim cleric gets Russian Orthodox Church award  (http://en.rian.ru/russia/20081013/117702391.html)

Pope Benedict and Orthodox Christian leaders pray in Sistine Chapel
10/18/2008 20:07

VATICAN CITY - The spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians prayed with Pope Benedict in the Sistine Chapel on Saturday and urged Catholics and Orthodox to work together to combat fundamentalism and to promote religious tolerance.

Benedict praised his guest, Patriarch Bartholomew, on the occasion of an Orthodox leader's first service in the chapel, which is famous for its frescoes painted by Michelangelo.

Benedict said Bartholomew's participation in the Vespers service and speech, in the chapel where popes are elected, was a joyous experience of unity, perhaps not perfect, but true and deep.

The two men are eager to bridge a nearly millennium-long schism between the two churches, and see moral and social issues - including fundamentalism, religious intolerance, abortion, euthanasia and environmental degradation - as fertile ground for common initiatives.

The split between Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches centres on the primacy of the pope.

Bartholomew was invited to address bishops from around the world attending a meeting at the Vatican this month about the importance of the Bible.

Cardinals and bishops listened attentively as the patriarch spoke about the potential for common initiatives between the world's 250 million Orthodox and more than a billion Catholics.

The Orthodox leader called it more imperative than ever for both sides to provide a "unique perspective - beyond the social, political or economic - on the need to eradicate poverty, to provide balance in a global world, to combat fundamentalism or racism and to develop religious tolerance in a world of conflict."

Bartholomew described the invitation to address the pope and bishops in the Sistine Chapel as humbling and inspiring.

Pope Benedict and Orthodox Christian leaders pray in Sistine Chapel  (http://www.cjad.com/news/56/810352)

Together with pope, ecumenical patriarch addresses synod for first time ever
10/18/2008

Bartholomew calls it "historic." The remarks of both demonstrate effort toward unity: "if we have the same fathers, how can we not be brothers?"

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Ecumenical patriarch Bartholomew is calling it "an historic event," after being the first to speak to the bishops of the Catholic Church gathered for a synod. For his part, Benedict XVI said, "Your fathers are also our fathers, and ours are yours: if we have the same fathers, how can we not be brothers?" Behind the two of them, who were seated on chairs of equal size, the depiction of the last judgment in the Sistine Chapel.

It was in the most famous of the chapels in the apostolic palace, in fact, that this afternoon the first vespers for the 29th Sunday of ordinary time were celebrated, "on the occasion of the participation of ecumenical patriarch Bartholomew I in the work of the 12th assembly of the synod of bishops." "At this moment, we have truly experienced the synod," the pope commented, speaking spontaneously at the end of the extensive address by the patriarch. "Hearing the word of God," he added, "also opens one's eyes to the realities of today," and the "fathers" of the synod "will continue their work illuminated by the words" of Bartholomew.

The patriarch of Constantinople, after speaking of the "historic event" because of his very presence at the synod, expressed his hope of arriving one day at "full unity" between Orthodox and Catholics, overcoming the current differences and agreeing "fully over the role of primacy and collegiality in the life of the Church." Bartholomew also indicated some concrete objectives: "as disciples of God," he added, "it is more imperative than ever to present a single perspective, beyond social, political, and economic views, on the need to uproot poverty, promote equilibrium in the globalized world, combat fundamentalism and racism, and develop religious tolerance in a world of conflict."

Together with pope, ecumenical patriarch addresses synod for first time ever (http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=13519&size=A)

Global Faith-Based Organization Forum to be held in Turkey

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will gather religious leaders from all over the world at a global forum in Istanbul.

The Global Faith-Based Organization Forum will open on Oct. 20 and host 75 organizations from all around the world.

UNFPA said in a statement that the forum would bring together Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious leaders to discuss several issues such as HIV-AIDS, reproductive health, gender equality, and measures to prevent violence against women and maternity death and strength women's status.

The global forum is organized for the first time to enhance partnership among faith-based communities, UN officials said.

Global Faith-Based Organization Forum to be held in Turkey (http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/domestic/10147672.asp?scr=1)
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The One World Church is there but in lose formation. No doubt it will continue to gain cohesion in the coming months.

"We are close to Tribulation.  I have 2 conflicting emotions when I say that. Grief for the world going into the Tribulation and excitement for the Rapture, that will happen before it comes.