Protesting Orthodox priest heckles Pope on Greece visit

Pope Francis was heckled by an elderly priest as he arrived for a meeting in Athens with the head of the country’s Orthodox church

ATHENS, Greece -- Pope Francis was heckled by an elderly Greek Orthodox priest on Saturday as he arrived for a meeting with the head of the country’s Orthodox Church, evidence of the lingering distrust between some Orthodox and Catholics 1,200 years after Christianity was cleaved in half.

“Pope, you are a heretic!” the priest shouted three times as Francis arrived at the residence of Archbishop Ieronymos in the Greek capital of Athens. The protester fell to the ground as police led him away, and Francis appeared not to notice as he walked into the residence for his private meeting with the Orthodox leader.

The incident followed small protests against the pope on his previous stop, the island of Cyprus, which is also predominantly Christian Orthodox.

But inside Ieronymos' residence, the two Christian leaders could not have been more friendly with one another and in synch in their shared call for Christians to work together to protect the environment and care for migrants. In contrast to the lone heckling priest, Ieronymos welcomed Francis “with a feeling of honor and fraternity."