Pope Drops Title: No Longer “Patriarch of the West”

(ANSA.it) It is a “sign of ecumenical sensitivity”, officials said.

“In the past the patriarchate of the West was contrasted with that of the East. I think the pope wanted to remove this sort of contrast and his act is intended as a spur to ecumenical progress,” said Cardinal Achille Silvestrini. “The Catholic Church does not consider itself the Church of the West,” said the cardinal, who is head of the Vatican department dealing with Eastern branches of Catholicism.

Dropping the Patriarch of the West title was reportedly also considered by Benedict’s predecessor, John Paul II, who made significant inroads in promoting dialogue between Orthodox Christians and the Catholic Church. (Click For Full Article)