Pentarchy

Religion, rights, and geopolitics on Vartholemos’ US visit, meetings with Biden, Blinken, Pelosi

By George Gilson

When Greek Orthodox Archbishop Athenagoras of America was elected Ecumenical Patriarch - the first among equals with a coordinating role in Eastern Orthodox Church, which is said to have 300 million faithful worldwide) - in 1948, he travelled to Istanbul, Turkey, for his enthronement on the presidential aeroplane of US President Harry Truman.

Pope Francis wants all Christians to join calendars

Pope Francis called for all Christian denominations to celebrate Easter on the same date. This seems harmless and practical, even a pacifist move but a backlash followed. Well-known Russian theologian Protodeacon Andrey Kurayev expressed his thoughts on the internet: “The Pope’s proposal to designate a single all-Christian Easter day is unrealistic,” he wrote.