Pope, Russian patriarch call for new Christian unity

Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, during a historic meeting Friday, called for restored Christian unity and urgent action to help Christians threatened by violence in the Middle East.

"We hope our meeting contributes to the re-establishment of this unity wished for by God," they said in a joint declaration signed at their talks in Cuba, the first such meeting between the leaders of the Eastern and Western churches in nearly a thousand years.