8,921
edits
Changes
m
→Renaissance and Modern Era: 1918
*1875 Uniate diocese of [[w:Chełm|Chelm]] in modern day Poland incorporated into [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox Church]] under Alexander II, with all of the local Uniates converted to Orthodoxy.
*1894 ''[[w:Praeclara Gratulationis Publicae|Praeclara Gratulationis Publicae]]'' (''on the Reunion of Christendom''), an Encyclical Letter of Pope Leo XIII promulgated on [[June 20]], called for the reunion of Eastern and Western churches into the "Unity of the Faith", while also condemning Freemasonry; criticized by Ecumenical Patriarch Anthimus VII in 1895; Pope Leo XIII issues ''[[w:Orientalium Dignitas|Orientalium Dignitas]],'' a papal encyclical concerning the [[Eastern Catholic Churches]] including a prohibition aganist [[Latinization|Latinizing]] influences among Eastern Catholics.
*1918 The "St. Sophia Redemption Committee" is formed in Britain after the [[w:Armistice Day|Armistice]], whose members included two future Foreign Secretaries and many prominent public figures, seeking to restore [[Hagia Sophia (Constantinople)|Hagia Sophia]] into an Orthodox Church (1918-1922);<ref>Prof. Erik Goldstein. ''Holy Wisdom and British Foreign Policy, 1918-1922: The St. Sophia Redemption Agitation''. In '''Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies''' Vol.15 (1991): pp.36-64.</ref> Roman Catholic opposition to the St Sophia Redemption Committee included Msgr. Manuel Bidwell (Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Westminster) who was on the initial committee, Roman Catholic British MP Sir [[w:Stuart Coats|Stuart Coats]] also on the committee, Cardinal [[w:Pietro Gasparri|Pietro Gasparri]] the [[w:Cardinal Secretary of State|Papal Secretary of State]], and the Vatican who wished to block St. Sophia becoming a Greek Orthodox Church (according to a report from the [[w:Grand Vizier |Grand Vizier]] of Constantinoplewho had an offer of Papal support).<ref>Prof. Erik Goldstein. ''Holy Wisdom and British Foreign Policy, 1918-1922: The St. Sophia Redemption Agitation''. In '''Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies''' Vol.15 (1991): pp.46,47,59.</ref><ref group="note">
[[w:Stuart Coats|Coats]] pointed out that in 1453 Constantinople had officially been in communion with Rome as a [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Uniate]] church. As such, he argued, St. Sophia should continue as a Greek Rite Uniate Church. Cardinal [[w:Pietro Gasparri|Gaspari]] gave an interview to the French press while in Paris to observe the peace negotiations, explaining that from Rome's viewpoint the great church had been catholic longer than anything else, being only in schismatic hands from the time of [[Michael I Cerularius of Constantinople|Michael Cerularius]] to the [[Council of Florence]]. The Grand Vizier of Constantinople indicated to the British that he had an offer of Papal support, as the Vatican wished to block St. Sophia becoming a Greek Orthodox Church. The Rev. J.A. Douglas, a member of the Redemption Committee reported that:<br>
:" 'The traditional diplomacy of the Vatican has certainly laboured for decades under the influence of what would happen if the Oecumenical Patriarch, a dangerous witness against Roman claims, even when half-buried in the slum of the Phanar and paralysed by Turkish tyranny, should emerge and be the symbol of a great and progressive Communion which functioned with glorious St. Sophia as its mother church.' "<br>
