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| Pope Francis in historic talks with Russian Orthodox leader | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Pope Francis has begun a historic first meeting with Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, in Cuba. | Pope Francis has begun a historic first meeting with Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, in Cuba. |
| The meeting is the first between a Pope and a Russian Church head since the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity split in the 11th Century. | The meeting is the first between a Pope and a Russian Church head since the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity split in the 11th Century. |
| The Russian Orthodox Church said the "persecution of Christians" in the Middle East and North Africa would be the central theme of the talks. | The Russian Orthodox Church said the "persecution of Christians" in the Middle East and North Africa would be the central theme of the talks. |
| The two leaders are also expected to sign a joint declaration. | The two leaders are also expected to sign a joint declaration. |
| Differences remain | |
| They embraced and kissed each other when they met at Havana airport. | They embraced and kissed each other when they met at Havana airport. |
| The talks are being held during Pope Francis's stop-over on his way to Mexico. Meanwhile, Patriarch Kirill is visiting Cuba, Brazil and Paraguay. | The talks are being held during Pope Francis's stop-over on his way to Mexico. Meanwhile, Patriarch Kirill is visiting Cuba, Brazil and Paraguay. |
| In purely symbolic terms, this is an extraordinary moment, but it is perhaps even more significant in terms of church diplomacy, and the effort to warm relations within the Christian faith, the BBC's Will Grant in Havana says. | |
| Patriarch Kirill has been the head of the Russian Orthodox Church since February 2009, while Pope Francis took up his role in March 2013. | |
| The Roman Catholic Church has more than a billion members worldwide, while the Russian Orthodox Church numbers about 165 million. | |
| The Russian Church is the largest and most powerful in the Orthodoxy faith, which is made up of a number of separate churches. | |
| Uneasy relations | |
| Key dates: | |
| 'Historic' talks | |
| Why Cuba? | |
| Thorny issue | |
| However, the encounter in Havana is not expected to lead to any immediate rapprochement between the Eastern and Western Churches. | |
| Ahead of the meeting, the foreign policy chief of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Illarion, said here were still differences between the two churches, in particular on western Ukraine. | |
| One particular issue is the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which follows eastern church rites but answers to the Holy See. | |
| The Russian Orthodox Church has considered western Ukraine its traditional territory, resenting papal influence there. |