Old Conflicts, New Opportunities

In May 2001, Pope John Paul II made a much publicised ‘jubilee pilgrimage’ to Syria, Greece and Malta. It was the first papal visit to Greek soil in a thousand years. The journey, and the fierce protests to which it gave rise in Athens, brought to public attention, once again, the historical rift between the eastern Orthodox and western Catholic Churches. There was concern among Catholics over the reception he would receive: he was dubbed by some Orthodox as the antichrist, while others publicly rued the sorry day a pope would be welcomed by the Christian Orthodox Order. Not surprisingly security was stepped up.