THE POPE AND THE PATRIARCH
Ali Bulac

Zaman Online, Turkey
Nov 30 2006

Patriarch Bartholomeos is the one who invited the Pope to Turkey last
year. Due to the Greek Orthodox Church’s "ecumenical" attribute not
being recognized, the invitation was intrpreted by Turkish President
Sezer as an intermediary formula. In other words, not only Pope
Benedict XVI wanted this visit, but Bartholomeos did as well.

The September 30th edition of the International Herald Tribune wrote,
"The goal of the Pope, who is to visit Turkey, is not dialogue with
Muslims, but an effort to reunite with the Orthodox." The quotation
from the Byzantine King that the Pope made during a speech in September
was a hidden message. No one who is going to visit someone, even if
it is just a courtesy call, would make a speech to distress them a few
days before the visit. As I mentioned on Monday, the Pope wants Europe
to unite around a Christian identity and the West to gain religious
internal unity. The deep infirmity that Christianity, the Church and
Europe in general, have entered has begun to give dangerous signals.

According to the Pope’s assessment, taking other churches under wing,
or at least playing a "protective" role in resolving the problems
they face, would be suitable steps to be taken in this area. If a
"positive result" is obtained from this visit, a similar strategy can
be followed for the Syrian Orthodox, Armenians and Nestorians. Well
then, is there a situation that demands the Pope’s becoming the
"defender" of the other churches and sects in their eyes?

What is obvious is that the Orthodox Church and other religious
minorities have some serious problems. Let Turkey resist as much as
it wants, the whole world and 250 million Orthodox, in particular,
accept the Phanariot Patriarch as "ecumenical." More importantly, the
Catholic Church has also confirmed this attribute of the Patriarch,
because it was the reason for the 1054 separation and bloody campaign
arranged in 1204. Turkey, straying from its own Ottoman tradition,
is taking on the whole world. It is interfering in the Orthodox
religion because of its groundless conjectures.

A second issue that bothers the Church is the absence of permission
to open the Heybeliada Monastic School. If it is necessary to talk
from a just and fair point of view, the Church is absolutely right
on this subject. Neither our religion nor our Ottoman experience
sees this behavior towards non-Muslims as proper. The Patriarch and
Orthodox Church are bound to the Caesar of the state they live in.

However, this does not mean that Caesar can interfere in the Church’s
theological doctrine and educational curriculum. Not even Roman
emperors and Ottoman sultans tried this. Treatment of community
foundations also leads to various difficulties like this, and this
problem has to be resolved according to just principles.

The Pharaniot Patriarch invited the Pope in hopes of receiving "aid
and support" from him. This is a dramatic situation resulting from
Turkey’s leaving its own non-Muslim citizens dependent on outside
help. If non-Muslims were able to take their places in the system as
citizens whose injustices had been redressed, the Phanariot Patriarch
would not have made this invitation, which was based somewhat on
"Orthodox suppression." The Orthodox Church has as great a claim as
the Vatican, both in respect to Christianity’s formulated doctrines
and in regard to its authority over Christians.

The Pope knows that there will not be a permanent and long-range
"unification" with Protestants. This is not only true in respect to
doctrine, but in respect to political and diplomatic power as well.

Protestants, particularly Evangelicals in America, are living
their "golden age." However, the Orthodox do not possess the same
opportunity and advantages. In fact, they are cornered in their
religious and spiritual center, Istanbul. This is the reason for
their being exploited. Just like in the Kurdish and Alawi issues,
by not allowing for their problems to be resolved, Turkey has led
these citizens to "seek hope from the outside." Before finding fault
with the Pope’s intentions and goals, Turkey should question its own
faults and, acting in a fair and just way, listen to its citizens
and throw aside unnecessary conjectures and fears.