Last week, Pope Francis met with Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, in the Havana airport. The Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches split nearly 1,000 years ago. It’s unclear what this initial meeting means for the future, but Pope Francis said, “We are brothers,” to Kirill, making many think that more cooperation and conversation is on the horizon, including addressing the continued persecution of Christians in the Middle East. Questions for young adults:

• What do you make of this historic event?
• What other reconciliation do you think Pope Francis could bring about during his time as pope? What else do you think the pope’s role as world leader could include?
• Do you have great divisions or schisms in your own life? What steps might you take toward reconciliation?