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 On Nov. 13, James T. Larkin received the Cross of Saint Andrew for his efforts
in helping to bring about the resumption of the Joint International Commission
for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches.
The meeting,
which took place from July 9-19 in Baltimore, Md., marked the Commission's eighth
plenary session after a seven-year hiatus in talks; it was also the first time
the Commission met outside of Europe and the Middle East.
In an effort to end the centuries-old schism between the Roman Catholic and Eastern
Orthodox Churches, Patriarch Dimitrios I and Pope John II announced the formation
of the Joint International Commission in 1979. The last meeting was held in Balamud,
Lebanon, in 1993.
Ecumenical Patriarch Batholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople, bestowed the
award
on Larkin, who is the first Roman Catholic to receive this honor.
"We
paternally exhort you to continue doing the Lord's work, which in your case clearly
seems to be that of building stronger bonds for Christian
unity," Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I wrote Larkin.
Retired vice chairman of American Express International, Larkin spent considerable
time in the Middle East, serving as a liaison to Turkish troops who assisted
U.S. forces during the Korean War, and spending 12 years broadcasting in the
Middle East for ABC.
An active member of Saint Mary Parish in Greenwich, Conn., with his wife, Susan,
Larkin is a Knight Commander of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, dedicated
to supporting the Church in the Holy Land.
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