-Caveat Lector- Pope, Orthodox Leader: Stop Bombing By VICTOR L. SIMPSON .c The Associated Press BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) -- Pope John Paul II and Romania's Orthodox Christian patriarch combined their moral authority Saturday in a joint appeal for an end to the Kosovo conflict, condemning both forced expulsions and ``murderous bombings.'' John Paul and Patriarch Teoctist appealed ``in the name of God'' to those ``who in one way or another are responsible for the current tragedy'' to return to the negotiating table. The statement was issued on the second day of John Paul's historic visit to Romania, a mainly Orthodox country that borders on Serbia. Before the visit, some in Romania questioned inviting a religious leader from the West while NATO was bombing fellow Orthodox in Yugoslavia. Since the NATO attacks began March 24, John Paul has issued a series of statements condemning the bombing as well the expulsions of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo. The expression of solidarity with ``those expelled from their homes, their land, separated from their loved ones, who know the cruel reality of the exodus,'' was considered one of the strongest statements by an Orthodox leader on Serbia's campaign against ethnic Albanians from Kosovo. The Russian patriarch, Alexy II, mentioned the plight of refugees during a visit to Belgrade last month. The two leaders mentioned expulsions in their statement before expressing solidarity with the ``victims of murderous bombings.'' However, they didn't specifically say that the ethnic Albanians were the victims of expulsions or name NATO. They called for a resumption of dialogue that would lead to a ``just and lasting'' peace and permit the return of refugees. The visit by John Paul was the first by a pope to a mainly Orthodox country in nearly 1,000 years. Before returning to Rome on Sunday, the pope and the patriarch will attend a Catholic and an Orthodox religious service. The 78-year-old pope was bearing up well, despite a heavy schedule, although he leaned on a silver staff for support during the morning Mass. The pope began the second day of his visit with a stop at Belu cemetery in southern Bucharest, where Catholic clergymen killed during the Communist regime are buried. He knelt in prayer for 10 minutes before the tombs, occasionally looking up at the photographs of seven Catholics who have been proposed for beatification, the last stage before sainthood. Tensions between Catholics and Orthodox in Romania have come into the open since the fall of communism, particularly with the re-emergence of Eastern Rite Catholic churches, which retain Orthodox-style liturgy but are loyal to the pope. Communists in Romania and elsewhere in Eastern Europe suppressed the Eastern Rite, turning over its property to the Orthodox. The pope presided at an Eastern Rite service Saturday in a crowded St. Joseph's cathedral. Organizers had handed out some 2,000 tickets for only 1,000 places in the small church and many of the faithful stood on pews to get a glimpse of the pope. Just before the pope arrived, an ambulance crew carried in Cardinal Alexandru Todea, 86, who has been confined to wheelchair for years. The cardinal spent 43 years in prison or house arrest during the Communist rule, which ended in 1989. ``They tried to silence your liberty, to suffocate it, but they didn't succeed,'' the pope said in his homily. The pope agreed as a price for his visit not to travel to Transylvania, where Catholics predominate. Orthodox feared their authority might be undercut. DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
