A few days ago, the Pan-Orthodox Council was closed. After the council, Pope Francis received a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, led by Metropolitan Methodios of Boston.
His first visit to the Vatican served to celebrate the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, patrons of the Church of Rome, whose feast day is this Wednesday.
POPE FRANCIS
'Peter, who had denied his Master, and Paul, who persecuted the nascent Church, became tireless evangelizers and fearless witnesses to the salvation offered by God in Christ to every man and woman.â?
Both Pope Francis and Methodios recalled the meeting between the Pope and Patriarch Bartholomew last April on the island of Lesbos. In fact, he brought Pope Francis a letter from the Patriarch.
Then it was time to exchange gifts. The Pope received a medallion with the embrace between Saint Andrew and Saint Peter, as a symbol of unity between the two churches. Pope Francis corresponded with a medallion of Saint Martin of Tours and explained its meaning.
'It covers the poor, and this is our mission.'
And he also present him with two of his major writings. Pope Francis and Methodios said their goodbyes in an official manner, but later they had lunch together. So the orthodox ended his meeting asking for a request from the Pope. 'Do not let me eat too much.â?
