«Σε πολλές χώρες της Μέσης Ανατολής και της Βόρειας Αφρικής ολόκληρες οικογένειες, χωριά και πόλεις, οι εν Χριστώ αδελφοί και αδελφές μας εξοντώνονται ολοκληρωτικά»,……… «Οι εκκλησίες τους ρημάζονται βάναυσα και λεηλατούνται, τα ιερά τους κειμήλια βεβηλώνονται, τα μνημεία τους καταστρέφονται», ……..«Σήμερα, οι δύο Εκκλησίες μπορούν να συνεργαστούν ενεργά, υπερασπίζοντας τους χριστιανούς σε όλο τον κόσμο και να συνεργαστούν με πλήρες αίσθημα ευθύνης ώστε να μην υπάρχουν πόλεμοι, ώστε η ανθρώπινη ζωή να γίνεται παντού σεβαστή», τόνισε ο Πατριάρχης Κύριλλος μετά την συνάντηση.
Μάλιστα
σε κοινό δελτίο τύπου που είχε προηγηθεί
οι δυο πλευρές πληροφορούσαν ότι «η συνάντηση των Προκαθημένων της Ρωσικής
Ορθοδόξου και της Ρωμαιοκαθολικής Εκκλησίας, η οποία ετοιμαζόταν από πολύ
καιρό, θα είναι πρώτη στην ιστορία και θα σηματοδοτεί ένα σπουδαίο στάδιο στις
σχέσεις μεταξύ των δύο Εκκλησιών». «Το Πατριαρχείο Μόσχας και η Αγία Έδρα
επιθυμούν το γεγονός αυτό να δώσει μήνυμα ελπίδας σε όλους τους ανθρώπους καλής
θελήσεως και προτρέπουν όλους του χριστιανούς να προσεύχονται θερμώς, ώστε με
ευλογία του Θεού η επικείμενη συνάντηση να φέρει καλούς καρπούς».
ΑΚΟΛΟΥΘΕΙ ΟΛΟΚΛΗΡΟ ΤΟ ΚΟΙΝΟ ΑΝΑΚΟΙΝΩΘΕΝ ΣΤΑ ΑΓΓΛΙΚΑ
Joint Declaration of Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow
and All Russia
"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love
of God the Father and the fellowship of the holy Spirit be with all of you” (2
Cor 13:13).
1. By God the Father’s will, from which all gifts
come, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the help of the Holy
Spirit Consolator, we, Pope Francis and Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All
Russia, have met today in Havana. We give thanks to God,
glorified in the Trinity, for this meeting, the first in history.
It is with joy that we have met like brothers in the
Christian faith who encounter one another "to speak face to face” (2 Jn
12), from heart to heart, to discuss the mutual relations between the Churches,
the crucial problems of our faithful, and the outlook for the progress of human
civilization.
2. Our fraternal meeting has taken place in Cuba, at
the crossroads of North and South, East and West. It
is from this island, the symbol of the hopes of the "New World” and the
dramatic events of the history of the twentieth century, that we address our
words to all the peoples of Latin America and of the other continents.
It is a source of joy that the Christian faith is
growing here in a dynamic way. The powerful religious potential of
Latin America, its centuries–old Christian tradition, grounded in the personal
experience of millions of people, are the pledge of a great future for this
region.
3. By meeting far from the longstanding disputes of
the "Old World”, we experience with a particular sense of urgency the need
for the shared labour of Catholics and Orthodox, who are called, with
gentleness and respect, to give an explanation to the world of the hope in us
(cf. 1 Pet 3:15).
4. We thank God for the gifts received from the coming
into the world of His only Son. We share the same
spiritual Tradition of the first millennium of Christianity. The witnesses of
this Tradition are the Most Holy Mother of God, the Virgin Mary, and the saints
we venerate. Among them are innumerable martyrs who have given witness to their
faithfulness to Christ and have become the "seed of Christians”.
5. Notwithstanding this shared Tradition of the first
ten centuries, for nearly one thousand years Catholics and Orthodox have been
deprived of communion in the Eucharist. We have been divided by
wounds caused by old and recent conflicts, by differences inherited from our
ancestors, in the understanding and expression of our faith in God, one in
three Persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are pained by the loss of
unity, the outcome of human weakness and of sin, which has occurred despite the
priestly prayer of Christ the Saviour: "So that they may all be one, as
you, Father, are in me and I in you ... so that they may be one, as we are one”
(Jn 17:21).
6. Mindful of the permanence of many obstacles, it is
our hope that our meeting may contribute to the re–establishment of this unity
willed by God, for which Christ prayed. May our meeting inspire
Christians throughout the world to pray to the Lord with renewed fervour for
the full unity of all His disciples. In a world which yearns not only for our
words but also for tangible gestures, may this meeting be a sign of hope for
all people of goodwill!
7. In our determination to undertake all that is
necessary to overcome the historical divergences we have inherited, we wish to
combine our efforts to give witness to the Gospel of Christ and to the shared
heritage of the Church of the first millennium, responding together to the
challenges of the contemporary world. Orthodox and Catholics
must learn to give unanimously witness in those spheres in which this is
possible and necessary. Human civilization has entered into a period of epochal
change. Our Christian conscience and our pastoral responsibility compel us not
to remain passive in the face of challenges requiring a shared response.
8. Our gaze must firstly turn to those regions of the
world where Christians are victims of persecution. In
many countries of the Middle East and North Africa whole families, villages and
cities of our brothers and sisters in Christ are being completely exterminated.
Their churches are being barbarously ravaged and looted, their sacred objects
profaned, their monuments destroyed. It is with pain that we call to mind the situation in Syria, Iraq and
other countries of the Middle East, and the massive exodus of Christians from
the land in which our faith was first disseminated and in which they have lived
since the time of the Apostles, together with other religious communities.
9. We call upon the international community to act
urgently in order to prevent the further expulsion of Christians from the
Middle East. In raising our voice in defence of persecuted Christians, we wish
to express our compassion for the suffering experienced by the faithful of
other religious traditions who have also become victims of civil war, chaos and
terrorist violence.
10. Thousands of victims have already been claimed in
the violence in Syria and Iraq, which has left many other millions without a
home or means of sustenance. We urge the international community to seek an end
to the violence and terrorism and, at the same time, to contribute through
dialogue to a swift return to civil peace. Large–scale humanitarian aid must be
assured to the afflicted populations and to the many refugees seeking safety in
neighbouring lands.
We call upon all those whose influence can be brought
to bear upon the destiny of those kidnapped, including the Metropolitans of
Aleppo, Paul and John Ibrahim, who were taken in April 2013, to make every
effort to ensure their prompt liberation.
11. We lift our prayers to Christ, the Saviour of the
world, asking for the return of peace in the Middle East, "the fruit of
justice” (Is 32:17), so that fraternal co–existence among the various
populations, Churches and religions may be strengthened, enabling refugees to
return to their homes, wounds to be healed, and the souls of the slain innocent
to rest in peace.
We address, in a fervent appeal, all the parts that
may be involved in the conflicts to demonstrate good will and to take part in
the negotiating table. At the same time, the international community must
undertake every possible effort to end terrorism through common, joint and
coordinated action. We call on all the countries involved in the struggle
against terrorism to responsible and prudent action. We exhort all Christians
and all believers of God to pray fervently to the providential Creator of the
world to protect His creation from destruction and not permit a new world war.
In order to ensure a solid and enduring peace, specific efforts must be
undertaken to rediscover the common values uniting us, based on the Gospel of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
12. We bow before the martyrdom of those who, at the
cost of their own lives, have given witness to the truth of the Gospel,
preferring death to the denial of Christ. We believe that these martyrs of our
times, who belong to various Churches but who are united by their shared
suffering, are a pledge of the unity of Christians. It is to you who suffer for
Christ’s sake that the word of the Apostle is directed: "Beloved ...
rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that when
his glory is revealed you may also rejoice exultantly” (1 Pet 4:12–13).
13. Interreligious dialogue is indispensable in our
disturbing times. Differences in the understanding of religious truths must not
impede people of different faiths to live in peace and harmony. In our current
context, religious leaders have the particular responsibility to educate their
faithful in a spirit which is respectful of the convictions of those belonging
to other religious traditions. Attempts to justify criminal acts with religious
slogans are altogether unacceptable. No crime may be committed in God’s name,
"since God is not the God of disorder but of peace” (1 Cor 14:33).
14. In affirming the foremost value of religious
freedom, we give thanks to God for the current unprecedented renewal of the
Christian faith in Russia, as well as in many other countries of Eastern
Europe, formerly dominated for decades by atheist regimes. Today, the chains of
militant atheism have been broken and in many places Christians can now freely
confess their faith.
Thousands of new churches have been built over the
last quarter of a century, as well as hundreds of monasteries and theological
institutions. Christian communities undertake notable works in the fields of
charitable aid and social development, providing diversified forms of
assistance to the needy. Orthodox and Catholics often work side by side. Giving
witness to the values of the Gospel they attest to the existence of the shared
spiritual foundations of human co–existence.
15. At the same time, we are concerned about the
situation in many countries in which Christians are increasingly confronted by
restrictions to religious freedom, to the right to witness to one’s convictions
and to live in conformity with them. In particular, we observe that the
transformation of some countries into secularized societies, estranged from all
reference to God and to His truth, constitutes a grave threat to religious
freedom. It is a source of concern for us that there is a current curtailment
of the rights of Christians, if not their outright discrimination, when certain
political forces, guided by an often very aggressive secularist ideology, seek
to relegate them to the margins of public life.
16. The process of European integration, which began
after centuries of blood–soaked conflicts, was welcomed by many with hope, as a
guarantee of peace and security. Nonetheless, we invite vigilance against an
integration that is devoid of respect for religious identities. While remaining
open to the contribution of other religions to our civilization, it is our
conviction that Europe must remain faithful to its Christian roots. We call
upon Christians of Eastern and Western Europe to unite in their shared witness
to Christ and the Gospel, so that Europe may preserve its soul, shaped by two
thousand years of Christian tradition.
17. Our gaze is also directed to those facing serious
difficulties, who live in extreme need and poverty while the material wealth of
humanity increases. We cannot remain indifferent to the destinies of millions
of migrants and refugees knocking on the doors of wealthy nations. The
unrelenting consumerism of some more developed countries is gradually depleting
the resources of our planet. The growing inequality in the distribution of
material goods increases the feeling of the injustice of the international
order that has emerged.
18. The Christian churches are called to defend the
demands of justice, the respect for peoples’ traditions, and an authentic
solidarity towards all those who suffer. We Christians cannot forget that
"God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the
lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to
nothing those who are something, that no human being might boast before God” (1
Cor 1:27–29).
19. The family is the natural centre of human life and
society. We are concerned about the crisis in the family in many countries. Orthodox
and Catholics share the same conception of the family, and are called to
witness that it is a path of holiness, testifying to the faithfulness of the
spouses in their mutual interaction, to their openness to the procreation and
rearing of their children, to solidarity between the generations and to respect
for the weakest.
20. The family is based on marriage, an act of freely
given and faithful love between a man and a woman. It is love that seals their
union and teaches them to accept one another as a gift. Marriage is a school of
love and faithfulness. We regret that other forms of cohabitation have been
placed on the same level as this union, while the concept, consecrated in the
biblical tradition, of paternity and maternity as the distinct vocation of man
and woman in marriage is being banished from the public conscience.
21. We call on all to respect the inalienable right to
life. Millions are denied the very right to be born into the world. The blood
of the unborn cries out to God (cf. Gen 4:10).The emergence of so-called
euthanasia leads elderly people and the disabled begin to feel that they are a
burden on their families and on society in general.
We are also concerned about the development of
biomedical reproduction technology, as the manipulation of human life
represents an attack on the foundations of human existence, created in the
image of God. We believe that it is our duty to recall the immutability of
Christian moral principles, based on respect for the dignity of the individual
called into being according to the Creator’s plan.
22. Today, in a particular way, we address young
Christians. You, young people, have the task of not hiding your talent in the
ground (cf. Mt 25:25), but of using all the abilities God has given you to
confirm Christ’s truth in the world, incarnating in your own lives the
evangelical commandments of the love of God and of one’s neighbour. Do not be
afraid of going against the current, defending God’s truth, to which
contemporary secular norms are often far from conforming.
23. God loves each of you and expects you to be His
disciples and apostles. Be the light of the world so that those around you may
see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father (cf. Mt 5:14, 16). Raise
your children in the Christian faith, transmitting to them the pearl of great
price that is the faith (cf. Mt 13:46) you have received from your parents and
forbears. Remember that "you have been purchased at a great price” (1 Cor
6:20), at the cost of the death on the cross of the Man–God Jesus Christ.
24. Orthodox and Catholics are united not only by the
shared Tradition of the Church of the first millennium, but also by the mission
to preach the Gospel of Christ in the world today. This mission entails mutual
respect for members of the Christian communities and excludes any form of
proselytism.
We are not competitors but brothers, and this concept
must guide all our mutual actions as well as those directed to the outside
world. We urge Catholics and Orthodox in all countries to learn to live
together in peace and love, and to be "in harmony with one another” (Rm
15:5).
Consequently, it cannot be accepted that disloyal
means be used to incite believers to pass from one Church to another, denying
them their religious freedom and their traditions. We are called upon to put
into practice the precept of the apostle Paul: "Thus I aspire to proclaim
the gospel not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on
another's foundation” (Rm 15:20).
25. It is our hope that our meeting may also
contribute to reconciliation wherever tensions exist between Greek Catholics
and Orthodox. It is today clear that the past method of "uniatism”,
understood as the union of one community to the other, separating it from its
Church, is not the way to re–establish unity. Nonetheless, the ecclesial
communities which emerged in these historical circumstances have the right to
exist and to undertake all that is necessary to meet the spiritual needs of
their faithful, while seeking to live in peace with their neighbours. Orthodox
and Greek Catholics are in need of reconciliation and of mutually acceptable
forms of co–existence.
26. We deplore the hostility in Ukraine that has
already caused many victims, inflicted innumerable wounds on peaceful
inhabitants and thrown society into a deep economic and humanitarian crisis. We
invite all the parts involved in the conflict to prudence, to social solidarity
and to action aimed at constructing peace. We invite our Churches in Ukraine to
work towards social harmony, to refrain from taking part in the confrontation,
and to not support any further development of the conflict.
27. It is our hope that the schism between the
Orthodox faithful in Ukraine may be overcome through existing canonical norms,
that all the Orthodox Christians of Ukraine may live in peace and harmony, and
that the Catholic communities in the country may contribute to this, in such a
way that our Christian brotherhood may become increasingly evident.
28. In the contemporary world, which is both multiform
yet united by a shared destiny, Catholics and Orthodox are called to work
together fraternally in proclaiming the Good News of salvation, to testify
together to the moral dignity and authentic freedom of the person, "so
that the world may believe” (Jn 17:21). This world, in which the spiritual
pillars of human existence are progressively disappearing, awaits from us a
compelling Christian witness in all spheres of personal and social life. Much
of the future of humanity will depend on our capacity to give shared witness to
the Spirit of truth in these difficult times.
29. May our bold witness to God’s truth and to the
Good News of salvation be sustained by the Man–God Jesus Christ, our Lord and
Saviour, who strengthens us with the unfailing promise: "Do not be afraid
any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom”
(Lk 12:32)!
Christ
is the well–spring of joy and hope. Faith in Him transfigures human life, fills
it with meaning. This is the conviction borne of the experience of all those to
whom Peter refers in his words: "Once you were ‘no people’ but now you are
God’s people; you ‘had not received mercy’ but now you have received mercy” (1
Pet 2:10).
30. With grace–filled gratitude for the gift of mutual
understanding manifested during our meeting, let us with hope turn to the Most
Holy Mother of God, invoking her with the words of this ancient prayer:
"We seek refuge under the protection of your mercy, Holy Mother of God”. May
the Blessed Virgin Mary, through her intercession, inspire fraternity in all
those who venerate her, so that they may be reunited, in God’s own time, in the
peace and harmony of the one people of God, for the glory of the Most Holy and
indivisible Trinity!
Francis
Bishop
of Rome
Pope
of the Catholic Church
Kirill
Patriarch
of Moscow
and
all Russia
12
February 2016, Havana (Cuba)
2 σχόλια:
Πολύ μέλι αλλά επι της ουσίας τίποτα.......ούτε για το πρωτείο,ούτε για τη προσθήκη στο Σύμβολο της Πίστεως......ΤΙΠΟΤΑ!
ΕΙΣ ΜΑΤΗΝ ΕΚΟΠΙΑΖΑΝ ΟΙ ΟΙΚΟΔΟΜΟΥΝΤΕΣ...
Δεν υπάρχουν Εκκλησίες. Οι Απόστολοι μας άφησαν μία Εκκλησία. Όλα τα άλλα εκτός της Μίας Αγίας,Ορθοδόξου, Καθολικής και Αποστολικής Εκκλησίας είναι οτιδήποτε άλλο, εκτός από Εκκλησίες.Είμαστε βέβαιοι. ΒΕΒΑΙΟΤΑΤΟΙ!!!
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