The Pope, during a meeting with Ieronymos, the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, apologized for the mistakes made by Catholics, admitting that “actions and choices, which were based on a thirst for profit and power, ruined the society of the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church.” In addition, the Pope said that he was talking about it with shame, writes orthodoxianewsagency.

For his part, the Pope expressed his joy at the meeting, noting that he remembers their first meeting in Lesvos.

The pontiff also spoke about the problem of migration, recalling his remark he made to the President of the Hellenic Republic about olive trees, which are the same in all countries, and noting that this makes him think “about common roots, about apostolic roots,” he said.

He called the separation “the poison that poisoned” the relationship, since the “weed of suspicion” widened the gap and divided communion between Orthodoxy and the Roman Catholic Church.

The Primate of the Church of Greece spoke about the theology of the Orthodox Church, in which death is identified with sin, and Christ, as the head of life, bestows eternal life.

The Pope and the cardinals arrived at the residence of the Archdiocese at about 16:00 to meet with the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Ieronymos. The meeting was also attended by their Eminences Metropolitans Chrysostomos of Messiah, Ignatius of Demetriads, Gabriel of Neoion and Philadelphia, Agathangel of Phanar and Philotheus of Oreis.