Pope in historic talks with Russian Orthodox leader

The meeting at an airport terminal in Cuba was the first between a Pope and a Russian Church head since the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity split in the 11th Century.

Pope Francis has also argued that Christians should come together to protect their persecuted brethren, calling it an “ecumenism of blood”.

The religious leaders “embraced and kissed one another three times on the cheek as they met in a wood-paneled VIP room at the Havana airport”, The Associated Press reports. “We spent two hours in open brotherly discussions with a full understanding of the responsibility for our churches, for our believing people, for the future of Christianity and human civilization”, he said.

“Hopefully, his visit and prayers will help Mexico because things are bad and violent”, said Ana Gonzalez, a 49-year-old housewife who waited with her teenage son for the popemobile to pass by as others waged yellow and white flags of the Vatican or images of the pope.

He said: “There can be no confusion between the family God wants and any other type of union”.

Francis will also visit the southern state of Chiapas, one of Mexico’s poorest, as well as the crime-ravaged state of Michoacan, a notorious drug cartel battleground.

Francis arrived in Mexico’s capital to adoring crowds waving yellow handkerchiefs. Mariachis serenaded him as his chartered plane pulled to a stop, and people shouted “Brother Francis, you’re already Mexican”. He prayed with those gathered and said that everyone needed to rest for the days ahead.

Francis and Kirill called on the worldwide community to provide “large scale” humanitarian aid for refugees fleeing violence in the countries of the Near East and North Africa, where “entire families of Christians are being exterminated”.

But Francis also framed the encounter in a broader context of engaging Russian Federation, saying Moscow could be an important partner for peace in the world.

Castro is an ally of Russian Federation who received Francis in Cuba just five months ago.

This was the first meeting in history at the highest level of the Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches and has brought hope to millions of Christians all over the world. Critics have warned that Kirill and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who are close, are using the Pope to boost their profiles and popularity in the West.

The Russian church has long sought greater influence over the Ecumenical Patriarch in Istanbul.

The Eastern, or Orthodox Church, has about 225 million followers, with the Moscow Patriarch having about 160 million adherents – the largest of all of the Orthodoxy’s 15 congregations. But the Russian Church is the biggest, wealthiest and most powerful in Orthodoxy, and has always kept its distance from Rome.

The leader of the Catholic Church was met by music, dancers and adoring crowds as he landed in the capital. Those tensions have prevented previous popes from ever meeting with the Russian patriarch, even though the Vatican has long insisted that it was merely ministering to tiny Catholic communities.

He is the Orthodox archbishop of Washington, D.C., and the primate of the Orthodox Church in America, its senior-most leader in the US and Canada.

“The meeting takes place against the backdrop of current Russian military, political, and propagandist actions”, said Yury Avvakumov, assistant professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame.

While three popes have visited the country, he will be the first to be hosted at the ornate palace, 24 years after the Vatican and Mexico restored diplomatic ties.

Drug-trafficking gangs have infiltrated police forces across the country and more than 100,000 people have been killed in drug violence over the last decade.

Popes have dreamed of visiting Russian Federation but the circumstances continue to dim any hope of a papal visit anytime soon.

Should the people of Mexico expect a holy dose of tough love when the Pope arrives for his visit to Mexico?