ut unum sint

In a compelling story entitled "Pope demonstrates diplomacy skills" in the Chicago Tribune today Tom Hundley accurately describes BXVI's mad people skills.

The bulk of the article is about the Holy Father's mending relations to global Islam (his praying with an Imam will no doubt enrage some of our "Tranditionalist" bretheren), but he was originally going there to seek unity with the Eastern Patriarch.

I thought this observation poignant.

"The divide between Roman Catholicism and Orthodoxy is not about theology. The differences are coming from historical memories, and you can't overcome those by sitting down at a table and talking," Wauck said. "You have to build a different set of historical memories, and this has to be done over a long period of time."

It's not *intirely* true that it's not about theology, but I do think it's now less about theology than historical memory and I do think JPG could work miracles from beside the thrown of God in this regard.

(Full Story)

Related books by the Pontiff:

*Truth And Tolerance: Christian Belief And World Religions

*Many Religions, One Covenant: Israel, the Church, and the World