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Pope Francis set for historic Orthodox Patriarch meeting | |
(35 minutes later) | |
Pope Francis will hold a historic first meeting with Patriarch Kirill, the head of Russian Orthodox Church, in Cuba next week. | |
The Russian Orthodox Church said the "persecution of Christians" would be the central theme of the meeting. | |
Pope Francis will stop over in Cuba on his way to Mexico. | |
It is the first meeting of its kind since a schism between the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity emerged in the 11th Century. | |
The meeting is due to take place at Havana airport, where the two leaders will sign a joint declaration. | |
Francis: First Jesuit Pope | |
What is the Eastern Orthodox Church? | |
Patriarch Kirill is due in Cuba for an official visit at the same time as Pope Francis' stopover in Havana. | |
In a joint statement, the two churches said the meeting would "mark an important stage in relations between the two churches". | |
They invited " all Christians to pray fervently for God to bless this meeting, that it may bear good fruits.'' | |
Since becoming Pope in 2013, Pope Francis has called for better relations between the different branches of Christianity. |