The Pope Francis met with Orthodox leader

Francis with Bartholomew I

Pope Francisco invited those that do not belong to any church and members of other religions to come together and fight for justice, peace and the environment.

The Pope welcomed his guests in a hearing that was carried out in the Clementina hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace. This meeting was attended by representatives of Anglicans, Lutherans and Methodists; and of other faiths such as Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism.

Before the hearing, the new Pope had a private meeting with Bartolomé I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, who was present at the mass of the enthronement of Francisco. This was the first time the highest spiritual authority of Orthodox Christians attends the opening ceremony of a Roman Pope.

“I want to ensure my commitment to continuing with ecumenical dialogue, it will be our best service (unity) in a world of divisions and rivalries,” said Pope Francisco.

Bartholomew I, was the spokesperson for attendees of other religious congregations; he emphasized the importance of continuing with the religious dialogue to ensure that all the churches and ecclesial communities act in an interactive way to help people in this time of crisis.

The Orthodox leader invited Francisco to celebrate together a 2014 a trip to the Holy land in honor of the pioneers of the dialogue between Catholics and Orthodox, thus reported in the religious news agency Asianews.