Wrap of arrival and start of Pope visit

(4 May 2001)
POOL - Sparta airport, near Athens
1. Wide shot plane
2. Pope getting off the plane, waiving
3. Various shots Pope walking slowly down the stairs
4. Pope being welcomed
5. Air Force honour guard saluting
APTN - Athens
6. Aghia Paraskevi church
7. Man fixing flag or orthodox zealots on pole
8. Church bell tolling
9. Man ringing bell
10. Close up bell
11. VOXPOP (Greek) Priest
"In the church today I would like to appeal to God, with tears in my eyes, and extending a plea to everyone that the Pope will not come today and that we will remain Orthodox, because he wants to demolish the walls of Orthodoxy."
12. People in front of altar in church
POOL - Athens
13. Pope meeting orthodox archbishop Christodoulos
14. Pope addressing Archbishop Christodoulos, calling for forgiveness
15. Archbishop applauding
APTN - Athens
16. Small demo by Greek orthodox in square in central Athens
17. Sign: "Pope go home"
18. Launching black balloons
19. SOUNDBITE (English) Vox Pop
" The Pope is killer, he kills in the wars all over the world, in the war in Serbia..."
20. Various of security
STORYLINE:
Reaching across a nearly 1,000-year divide, Pope John Paul II offered a sweeping statement of regret Friday for �sins of action and omission� against Christian Orthodox that includes the sack of the ancient center of Greek Byzantium.
The declaration - long awaited by Orthodox leaders - could provide a new foundation for the Pope's attempt to encourage dialogue between the two estranged branches of Christianity.
Especially important to Orthodox ears was clear remorse for the �disastrous� sack of Constantinople by Crusaders in 1204 that contributed to the collapse of the Byzantine Empire about three centuries later.
The fall of the city - now Istanbul, Turkey - is one of the festering disputes that have poisoned relations between the two churches.
"It is tragic that the assailants, which set out to secure free access for Christians to the Holy Land, turned against their own brothers in the faith. The fact that they were Latin Christians fills Catholics with deep regret" the pope said after arriving in Athens to begin a six-day pilgrimage to retrace the steps of the Apostle Paul.
The trip also includes Syria and Malta.
The Pontiff prayed for God's forgiveness for "the occasions, past and present, when sons and daughters of the Catholic Church have sinned by action or omission against
their Orthodox brothers and sisters."
The head of the Greek Orthodox Church, Archbishop Christodoulos, clapped as the Pope spoke.
"We are waiting for a bold word from your lips ... And we have not heard even one word of apology until now", Christodoulos said moments before the Pope's address.
The statement advances the Pope's effort to begin the millennium with prayers of contrition for wrongs committed by Roman Catholics throughout the ages, including abuses against women and minorities.
In March 2000 - on a similar biblical pilgrimage - the Pope visited Israel's Holocaust memorial to say his church was "deeply saddened" by Christian persecution of Jews.
But the rift with the Orthodox may be one of the hardest to bridge.
Christianity split into the two branches nearly 1,000 years ago in disputes over Papal authority.
Some Orthodox clerics, led by Greeks and Russians, are highly critical of the Vatican and oppose any attempts at reconciliation.
The ill feelings draw from potent sources: religion, ethnic pride and a perception of historical injustices.
Such a gesture by the Greek Orthodox leaders could unleash a huge internal crisis in the church.

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