CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP NIEDERAUER MEETS WITH METROPOLITAN GERASIMOS
San Francisco Archbishop George H. Niederauer was welcomed July 28 to the home of Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco. It
was an initial step by the two recently installed leaders of their respective communities to greet each other and share fellowship. The two
spoke privately then joined officials from both dioceses for lunch. The success of the first encounter was summed up by Metropolitan
Gerasimos who told Archbishop Niederauer, “You are not only welcome . . . I consider you a brother in Christ already. The two toasted each
other and discussed opportunities for future meetings of friendship and cooperation between the churches. For his part, Archbishop Niederauer
graciously thanked Metropolitan Gerasimos and said he was welcome also at the Archbishop’s home. Following lunch, Metropolitan Gerasimos
presented Archbishop Niederauer an icon of the Holy Trinity hand painted by Greek Orthodox nuns near Fresno.
Father Michael Pappas, pastor of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in San Francisco and ecumenical officer for the Greek diocese, said it
was an historic time for ecumenical relations in San Francisco. Following the long and close friendship between the former Greek Orthodox,
Catholic and Episcopal leaders in San Francisco, each of the churches had recently installed new leaders.
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Metropolitan Gerasimos was enthroned in April of 2005, Archbishop Niederauer was installed this last February, and Rt. Rev. Marc Handley
Andrus was invested Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California July 24. Their predecessors, Metropolitan Anthony (deceased), Cardinal
William J. Levada, and recently retired Episcopal Bishop William Swing enjoyed a particularly close and productive relationship. The three
former leaders had made an historic pilgrimage together in April 2003 to their respective ecclesial homes; Constantinople, Rome and
Canterbury, meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Constantinople, Pope John Paul II in Rome and leaders of the Anglican Communion
in Canterbury and London.
Metropolitan Gerasimos, a member of the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation, told Catholic San Francisco he hopes for
similar signs of unity in the future, as well as practical forms of partnership between the faithful. Quoting Archbishop Iakovos, former
leader of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of the United States, Gerasimos said, “Let the theologians dialogue, but let’s do the work of
theology as people of God.”
Reprinted from August 11, 2006 issue of Catholic San Francisco
Jack Smith, Editor
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SF ANNOUNCEMENTS
Reprinted from
GET CONNECTED
by Cleo Constantin
Where is the next church food festival? What summer camps are available to our Orthodox youth? When do young adults meet for hikes or
biking trips? Where is the next choir conference or missions retreat or touring musical group? How can we publicize our church’s
anniversary? Our San Francisco Bay Area has needed an Orthodox information hub for some time. Jim Lucas, a from Holy Trinity found a
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on his email list and the numbers are growing rapidly. Send an email today to jim@loukas.com with the message “add me to your email list”.
Soon you will know what is happening in Orthodoxy for miles around!
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