www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Francis, Tawadros and Bartholomew

Hello all!
On Friday Popes Francis, Tawadros and Patriarch Bartholomew will meet in Cairo.
I believe this is the first time the three leaders/primus inter pares of the three largest Christian communions will be together, at least since Apostolic times...
Am I forgetting anything? Was there any more recent instance when a meeting such as this took place?
All the best?
Filipe

I don't believe so. This is certainly a historical event for all three Churches. We converge closer and closer to unity everyday.

It was reported that this was a first for all of the heads on the churches present. There were 3 popes and another 3 Patriarchs as well as a few other senior clergy present (suspect a Egyptian Anglican bishop was in the line up). Non of these heads of churches have ever been in the same place and talking together ever. They have all met each other on a one to one basis in various other places at different times. They were not strangers to each other.

Three popes? Who was the third?
I recognized Gregory III of the Melkites present, so that accounts for Antioch. Was there any Patriarch of Jerusalem there? That would mean a reunion of Patriarchs of the five apostolic sees!

The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria is also known as the "Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa".
The full tile of Melkite patriarchs is "Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria and Jerusalem of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church". So, yes, His Beatitude Gregory III's presence means there was a Patriarch of Jerusalem present.

The Coptic Catholic Patriarch was also in the lineup.