On Saturday July 7, Pope Francis will travel to Bari, in southern Italy. It will be the Holy Father's third visit to the region this year.
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BARI?
The city of Bari is especially symbolic because it houses the relics of St. Nicholas, the saint who represents a bridge between East and West and who is also venerated in Russia.
CARD. LEONARDO SANDRI
Prefect, Congregation for Oriental Churches
'In Bari are the relics of St. Nicholas, so it's a place venerated by all, but especially in the East, as he was an Eastern bishop.”
The Basilica of St. Nicholas in Bari is an ecumenical center, as the Dominicans who manage it see the saint as one for everyone. The church even houses an Orthodox chapel.
WHY IS POPE FRANCIS GOING?
The pope wants to pray for the dramatic reality faced by millions of people in the Middle East who have been wounded by wars, fundamentalism and religious persecution.
The Holy Father has called an ecumenical prayer encounter with the region's Christian leaders, whether Catholics or not.
WHICH CHURCH LEADERS WILL JOIN POPE FRANCIS?
Nineteen Church leaders or their representatives will attend the encounter, including those from the Orthodox, Assyrian Orthodox and Lutheran denominations, as well as the Middle East Council of Churches.
Notable attendees will be Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew, Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II of Egypt, and Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako of Iraq, the Chaldean Catholic Patriarch.
CHRISTIAN PRESENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
There are seven Catholic Churches in the Middle East in communion with Rome, and 14 Eastern Orthodox churches.
One hundred years ago, Christians made up 20 percent of the Middle East population; today, that number has fallen to four percent. Sixty-five percent of Christians in the region are Orthodox. The Coptic Orthodox Church is the largest Christian group, mostly concentrated in Egypt. Protestantism constitutes a small percentage in the region.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY AND ROMAN CATHOLICISM?
The Orthodox Churches grew out of communion with the Catholic Church beginning in the 11th century, due to a number of theological and doctrinal disagreements.
Among these differences are the primacy of the Bishop of Rome, elements of the Trinity, the Immaculate Conception, the existence of purgatory and the indissolubility of marriage.
Oriental Churches in communion with Rome include the Chaldean Catholic Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church.
Pope Francis will now meet with fellow leaders to promote fraternity, unity and dialogue, in the hope that those in the heartland of Christianity will be able to peacefully practice their faith.
