罗马天主教教宗方济各启程前往墨西哥，出访期间将在古巴停留，与俄罗斯东正教大牧首基里尔举行历史性会晤。
基里尔大牧首目前正在古巴进行正式访问。梵蒂冈上星期宣布，教宗将在哈瓦那的何塞·马蒂国际机场与基里尔大牧首进行“私人谈话”，并将签署一项联合声明。目前尚未公布声明的具体内容。
星期五的会晤将开创历史先河，双方希望借此弥合东西方两大基督教派间的千年裂痕。
这两大教派的分裂始于1054年，后因天主教教宗的至高地位和俄罗斯东正教指责天主教试图让俄罗斯东正教徒皈依天主教等问题持续恶化。
Pope Francis, head of the Roman Catholic Church, has embarked on a trip that will take him to Mexico, with a stop in Cuba for a historic meeting with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill.
Kirill is in Cuba for a state visit. The Holy See announced last week that Pope Francis will make a stop at Havana's José Martí International airport to have a "personal conversation" with the patriarch and sign a joint declaration. Details of the declaration have not been made public.
The Friday meeting is the first of its kind; an effort to heal the 1,000-year-old schism that has divided Christianity between East and West.
The split between the two churches since 1054 has festered over issues such as the primacy of the pope and accusations by the Russian Orthodox church that the Catholic Church is trying to poach converts in Russia.
