Religion: Mission To Moscow

Pope John Paul is not the only church leader on the move. Last week Dimitrios I of Constantinople (now Istanbul), spiritual leader of the world's 150 million Eastern Orthodox Christians, concluded a historic mission: the first visit since 1589 by an Ecumenical Patriarch to the great daughter church of Russia.

The twelve-day U.S.S.R. pilgrimage produced no formal actions but was remarkable for having occurred at all. In overwhelmingly Muslim Turkey, the government wants the Patriarch's small church of ethnic Greeks to attract as little attention as possible, and Dimitrios has heretofore shown no urge to travel. Given the long rivalry between...

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