Expectations are high for summit between Pope Francis and Vladimir Putin

[hrmjustin]

Eric J. Lyman

ROME (RNS) Next week’s summit between Pope Francis and Russian President Vladmir Putin may be the most important meeting between a pontiff and a visiting head of state in nearly a quarter of a century, with war-torn Syria expected to be the top priority.

Francis has met with more than a dozen heads of state or government as pontiff, and Putin has met with both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II. But this meeting stands out.

It’s been just four years since full diplomatic ties were re-established between Russia and the Holy See, set against a backdrop of centuries of tension between the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church.

Now, because of the period of reform Francis has ushered in at the Vatican, and a list of priorities that range from Syria to a desire to strengthen ties between the world’s largest country and one of the smallest, the Nov. 25 closed-door encounter will take on a dramatically increased importance.

http://www.religionnews.com/2013/11/20/expectations-high-summit-pope-francis-vladimir-putin/

[MADem]

1. I wasn't even aware that this had happened.

I'd like to see Francis, in a friendly and kindly way, clean Pootie's clock!

Funny-I thought Pootie wasn't religious...but...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/25/pope-francis-vladimir-putin_n_4338911.html


VATICAN CITY (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin showed off his religious side during a visit Monday to the Vatican, stopping to cross himself and kiss an icon of the Madonna that he gave to Pope Francis. But Moscow's improving relations with the Vatican went only so far: Putin didn't invite Francis to visit.

The Vatican said Monday that ecumenical relations between the Catholic and Orthodox churches weren't really discussed during the 35-minute discussion between Putin and Francis in the pope's private library, though Putin brought greetings from Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill.

Rather, the discussions between Putin and the pope, and then Putin and the Vatican's top diplomats, focused on Syria and the role of Christianity in society.

Putin thanked Francis for his September letter to the Group of 20 meeting in St. Petersburg, in which Francis urged world leaders to abandon the "futile pursuit" of a military solution in Syria and lamented that one-sided interests had prevented a diplomatic end to the conflict....

Rude of Pootie to not invite Francis to his country, but not surprising....he's probably afraid that Francis would eclipse him in terms of popularity....