LAST UPDATE 18:23
The intervention of the Archbishop, which is unfamiliar with his own style, before Pope Francis was bold and resounding.
During his visit to the Archdiocese of Athens, Archbishop Ieronymos, in a polite and discreet manner, reminded the Pope that the Catholics did not express support during the Greek Independence War.
“As the humble and vigorous leader of the Roman Catholic Church, we believe that at this historic juncture you have the courage and sincerity to consider the failures and omissions of your Fathers, who did not support the struggle of our people for freedom.”
“It is not my intention to put you in a difficult position,” the Archbishop continued, “but I believe that among those who want to be called and be brothers in Christ, the best language is and remains honesty. Let us repel the misconceived concept of diplomacy and diplomatic processes,” he underlined.
“I am sure that as the groundbreaking Primate of the Roman Catholic Church you know how to shake off the burdens of the past, especially those concerning the events of the Greek National Uprising, which unfortunately have hurt the crew of our Church. We owe to the blood of these heroes and martyrs of the Greek Revolution their restoration by you in the historical becoming”, he noted.
In his address, the Archbishop called on world leaders to take bolder decisions, condemning the Glasgow Treaty and calling it inadequate.
He called on Pope Francis to take joint action, the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, on the protection of the environment and immigration, and referred to the need to continue the dialogue towards visible unity.
On his part, Pope Francis described the actions of certain persons of the Roman Catholic Church as “shameful,” and once again apologized to the Orthodox Christian brothers for the mistakes of the past.
It is recalled that a similar apology was requested by Pope John Paul II during his visit to Athens exactly 20 years ago.
