In Response to Mark, a Neighbor and Fellow Runner

Mark I am so glad you took the time to respond to my blog entry. It is gratifying for me to hear from individuals who feel passionately about their faith enough to be irritated and angered by the words of someone else. I can relate to this cause. I would like to first state that my entry was posted from an email I received as the source is clearly stated. It is unfair of you to state that the source is biased. Anyone who has any interest or detailed understanding of a topic can be viewed as biased or having a vested interest. According to your logic the only people in a position to make an objective and truthful answer would have to deny any affiliation with the group or groups in question and they would have to have only a casual interest on the topic. WE would be left then with those who care little about or for the Church in this case. Additionally all people carry some bias and likewise objectivity on any given topic. You seem to suggest the only people who could make an truthful and kind unbiased statement would have to be completely ignorant and dispassionate. If you were to quote the Pope I would not dismiss your claim because they were not in some way objective. More importantly however I would like to point out to you that I have met His Holiness Pope Benedict during his trip to Turkey. I had the honor to be at the Cathedral of St. George at the Phanar for the evening service and then for the Divine Liturgy. My hope is for the unification of the churches under the umbrella of the One True Faith and not merely in a spirit ecumenism of Christian understanding. Additionally it is no accident that Peter and Andrew the First Called were brothers. It is also undeniable that the Church of Rome has its roots from the time Andrew called his brother Peter (see Gospel according to John). However you cannot and neither does the Pope deny that there have been fundamental changes made to the One True Faith by the Catholic Church through the years. Additionally I believe it is fair to say the Pope Himself seeks to abolish such discrepancies and innovation. I was also at the Phanar for the Return of the Relics of Sts. John Chrystostom and Gregory the Theologian which were returned by His Holiness John Paul II at which time he apologised for the Crusades. These historical facts are not in anyway belittling or misleading. To deny any atrocity or misstep does not undo the past or abolish it in any reality. Denial or a rewriting of history is deceptive and destructive because it disrespects those who died and sacrificed first for the Truth and then for the rest of believers throughout time. Please note also, my husband recently spoke as a guest lecturer for the Oriental Lumen convention which is made of of Catholics and Orthodox Christians from many jurisdictions where common beliefs where embraced and differences explored. It would be negligent of me to neglect to affirm the True Faith as it stands before us; established by God. It is not my place to beat around the bush for fear of being impolite or lacking in finesse. I have many devout catholic friends and I hope one day to be able to celebrate Liturgy in full communion. The objective of my posts and position is never to belittle or offend; the point of departure is one of difference in understanding and acceptance of innovation in belief systems. Understand that the heresy of the west compelled the schism between east and west. The natural result of such divergence has been the continuation of schisms riddled in the wake of the breaking away of Rome. I sincerely hope that a bridge can be established so that the sister churches can unite as one body in Christ. I would like again to thank Mark for taking the time to read and respond.