Though an elderly Orthodox priest accosted Pope Francis and called him a heretic, the will for unity is going forward, according to the Pope's comments on his return from Greece and Cyprus.
The priest's heckling is naturally causing a stir on social media. He shouted at the Pope on Saturday, as the Pope was entering for a very friendly meeting with the leader of the Greek Orthodox Church. The Pope didn't seem to notice the situation, and made no reference to it. The elderly priest was pushed away forcefully by Greek police, and then questioned by them. He said that he told the Pope to repent and that a pope has no place in Greece.
Pope Francis said during his in-flight press conference that he was grateful for the two Orthodox leaders who received him on his trip.
He also said that he's expecting a meeting with the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church soon. This will be historic, as the two have only met once before, in Cuba.
The Holy Father did not deny that there are obstacles to harmony, but emphasized that they are "brothers of the same mother, Mother Church."
In Cyprus, Chrysostomos II joined with Pope Francis for an ecumenical prayer service with migrants.
In Greece, meanwhile, Hieronymos II chose not to have such an event.
The Pope continued his reflection on the flight:
Here, the Pope was referring to the shared concerns that Catholics and Orthodox have been active in addressing, including for example, world peace, climate change, migration, etc.
The Holy Father has also noted that a strong force of unity is that Catholics and Orthodox are both suffering martyrdom, something he calls an "ecumenism of blood."
