"Brother, Finally!": Pope Meets Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow for First Time in 1000 Years

“Brother, finally!”

That’s how Pope Francis first reportedly greeted Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow. The two met today at Havana’s José Martí International Airport in Cuba. It was the first time a Catholic pontiff had met with an Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow since the Great East-West Schism, almost a thousand years ago.

The two leaders met together for about two hours in private. During that time, they were to exchange gifts and discuss the persecution of Christians. They then held a press conference in which they publicly signed a joint document on the persecution of Christians.

The Orthodox Patriarch Kirill was in Cuba as a part of a tour of Orthodox communities in Latin America. Pope Francis stopped in Cuba only briefly for the meeting while traveling to Mexico.

Watch the press conference following their meeting below:

More coverage:

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–> The Best Photos of the Historic Meeting Between Pope Francis & Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow

–> 14 Key Quotes from the Historic Catholic-Orthodox Joint Declaration