Greater Orthodox ties to Catholics?

The New York Times today (Tuesday) carried a Reuters story reporting:

Changes in church practices that are seen as liberal, such as allowing women to serve in the clergy and permitting same-sex marriages, are creating a widening gulf within world Christianity, a leading Russian Orthodox bishop said Monday.

That growing divide may prompt Orthodox churches to consider a tactical alliance with Roman Catholicism to defend traditional Christian values, Bishop Hilarion Alfeyev said in an interview on the sidelines of the global assembly here of the mostly Protestant World Council of Churches.

The article from the Times is available here.

The article concluded:

Pope Benedict XVI has said closer ties with Orthodox churches are a top priority of his papacy. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member of the World Council of Churches.

Bishop Alfeyev said the two sides were working to prepare a historic meeting between the pope and the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Aleksy II. The meeting had not yet taken place "not because of our denial, but because we want it to actually change things and not be just a protocol event," the bishop said.

Those of you interested in what the Pope might wear to such a meeting should follow this link.

Simply scroll down the right side of the page and click on the photo of Pope Benedict XVI. The paper notes: “It has been widely noted that Pope Benedict XVI’s taste in clothing has been more varied and colorful from that of his predecessor.”