Unity call as Pope Francis holds historic talks with Russian Orthodox Patriarch

Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill have called for restored Christian unity between the two churches at historic talks in Cuba. The meeting was the first between a Pope and a Russian Church head since the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity split in the 11th Century.

The two leaders exchange a joint declaration on religious unity at Marti International airport in Havana

In a joint declaration, they also urged the world to protect Christians from persecution in the Middle East. The Pope has now arrived in Mexico for a five-day visit.


A crowd of 300,000 braved the cold in Mexico City to welcome him to the country which has the world's second largest Catholic population. The Pope was greeted at the airport by President Enrique Pena Nieto.