Relics of St Nicholas return to Bari after Russian
tour
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| Russian Orthodox pilgrims queue for hours at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow to pray in front of the relics of St Nicolas.- EPA |
(Vatican
Radio) The relics of the 4th century saint Nicolas of Myra return to
Italy on Friday after spending over two months in Moscow and St Peterburg.
The relics, which have been preserved in the Italian city of
Bari since 1087, were taken to Russia on May 21st and have been venerated by
an estimated two million Orthodox pilgrims since then.
Philippa Hitchen takes a closer look at the ecumenical
significance of this event.
Saint Nicholas, from Myra in modern day Turkey, is a popular
figure in Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant traditions. He’s the patron saint
of several countries and cities besides Bari, but is best known as the
benefactor who gave gold coins to be used as dowries for the daughters of a
poor man who feared they would be sold into slavery if they couldn't marry. The
coins, which were found inside the girls’ stockings, gave rise to the legend of
Santa Claus or Father Christmas.
Orthodox pilgrims queue for hours
But a wealth of other stories surround the life and death of
the saint who is known for his wisdom, generosity and care for the poor and
vulnerable. He’s especially revered within the Russian Orthodox tradition,
which is why over two million Russian pilgrims have queued for hours in
Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and the Aleksandr Nevskij monastery in
St Petersburg in order to pray for a moment in front of the relics.
Meeting with Russian Orthodox leaders
On July 28th the head of the Vatican’s Council for
Christian Unity, Cardinal Kurt Koch, and the Archbishop of Bari
Francesco Cacucci were in Russia to pray together with Orthodox
leaders, before escorting the relics back to their southern Italian home. They
were also due to meet with Patriarch Kirill and Metropolitan Hilarion, head of
external Church relations for the Russian Orthodox Church.
Archbishop Cacucci noted that “the warm reception of Russian
religious authorities and of the population at large” exceeded all expectations
and mark an important step forward in relations between the Catholic and
Orthodox Churches.
Ecumenism of the people
While Pope Francis’ historic encounter with Patriarch Kirill in Cuba last
year marked an important milestone at leadership level, he said, this
relationship can only flourish if it “increasingly grows into an ecumenism of
the people”.
While not all Orthodox leaders support such an ecumenical
vision, the archbishop believes the experience of the relics, on loan to Russia
for the past two months, may mark the most significant development in the
Catholic-Orthodox dialogue since the Second Vatican Council.
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