[BgpOoGI2]

It would appear that Constantinople has refused to bless a schism and has refused to recognise the Ukrainian breakaways.

Perhaps that is because Patr. Bartholomew saw the genuine welcome of the people for Patr. Alexey compared to the officially orchestrated welcome that he vgot.

It would also appear that Patr. Bartholomew has agreed to direct talks with Patr. Alexey to find solutions to all their differences.

The big question is: Will Patr. Alexey or anyone else manage to wean Patr. Bartholomew and his (ill-)advisers away from the Roman church and away from the notion that Orthodoxy needs an "Eastern Pope"?

We don't need an "Eastern Pope" in Constantinople or in Moscow. Neither do we need to accommodate Benedict xvi.

What we do need is more frequent meetings between the Patriarchs and a "standing committee" of their representatives to handle internal matters.

Since Benedict xvi divested himself of the title "Patriarch" in an effort to assert the papacy as above patriarchal status, I think that the Patriarchs should consider working towards the goal of appointing Patriarchs for Western Europe, North America, South America and Austral-asia. They could leave the existing ethnic hierarchs in place in those areas, just placing them under their new Local Church Patriarchs. Africa of course already has its Patriarch.

Fr. Michael