Τήν
Τρίτην, 17ην / 30ήν Δεκεμβρίου 2014,
ἔλαβε χώραν ἡ ἀπό ἐτῶν καθιερωμένη συνάντησις τῶν Ἀρχηγῶν τῶν Χριστιανικῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν
τῆς Ἁγίας Γῆς εἰς τό Προεδρικόν Μέγαρον τοῦ κράτους τοῦ Ἰσραήλ ἐπί τῷ Νέῳ Ἔτει
2015.
Τήν
ἐν λόγῳ συνάντησιν ἐφιλοξένησεν ὁ Πρόεδρος τοῦ κράτους τοῦ Ἰσραήλ κ. Ροῦβεν
Ρούβλιν, ὁ ὁποῖος καί προσεφώνησε τούς προσκεκλημένους εἰς αὐτήν, λέγων ὅτι ἐπί τῇ εὐκαιρίᾳ τῆς
Ἰουδαϊκῆς ἑορτῆς τῆς Χαννουκά, τῆς Χριστιανικῆς τῶν Χριστουγέννων καί τοῦ Νέου Ἔτους
2015 συναντώμεθα σήμερον, ἀναπολοῦντες ὅλους ἐκείνους, οἱ ὁποῖοι ἀδίκως,
λόγῳ θρησκευτικοῦ φανατισμοῦ, ἠδικήθησαν, ἐγένοντο θύματα ἐκμεταλλεύσεως καί ἐθανατώθησαν.
Ἡμεῖς συλλυπούμεθα, πονοῦντες δι᾽ αὐτούς καί προσευχόμεθα ὑπέρ αὐτῶν, βασιζόμενοι εἰς τάς
Ἁγίας Γραφάς ἡμῶν ὡς πλάσματα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὡς εἰκόνες Αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κοινοῦ
Πατρός, ὡς λέγει ὁ προφήτης Μαλαχίας.
Διά
τά ἐγκλήματα εἰς χώρους τῆς λατρείας διαμαρτυρόμεθα ἐκτιμῶντες τήν διαμαρτυρίαν διά ταῦτα τοῦ Πᾶπα Ρώμης Φραγκίσκου. Τό
μήνυμα τοῦτο δίδομεν ἐνταῦθα καί εἰς τήν Γῆν ταύτην, τῶν προφητῶν Δαυίδ, Σολομῶντος,
τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καί τῶν ὀπαδῶν αὐτοῦ καί ὡς
τέκνα τῶν τριῶν Ἀβραμικῶν Θρησκειῶν, τέκνα τοῦ ἑνός Πατρός ἀγωνιζόμενοι
κατά τῆς βίας ἐναντίον τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου προσώπου καί εὐχόμενοι ἕν Νέον Ἔτος εἰρηνικόν
καί εὐλογημένον.
Ακολουθεί η προσφώνηση του Πατριάρχη Ιεροσολύμων στα Αγγλικά: http://www.jp-newsgate.net .
30 December 2014
Address
at the Annual Reception on the Eve of the New Year
in
honour of the Heads of the Churches
hosted
by His Honour Mr. Reuven Rivlin
the
President of Israel
with
the Honourable Gilad Arden, Minister of the Interior
Your Excellency,
Mr. President
Your Excellency, Mr. Arden
Your Eminences
Your Graces
Distinguished Members of the Government and Civic Leaders
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In this joyous season of light, We greet you, Mr. President, with the words of
the Psalmist:
Your word is a lantern to my feet, and a light upon my
path
(Ps. 118 (119): 105)
It is you who light my lamp; the Lord, my God, lights
up my darkness
(Ps. 17 (18): 29 (28))
The Holy Land, which is home to all of us, shines with
the divine Light. Here God and humanity have known a special and unique
intimacy. In this season in particular, the world, caught up in the darkness of
violence, poverty, persecution, and war looks to us, the communities of the
Holy Land, for renewed hope and inspiration.
Hope and inspiration must, of course, find expression
in practical ways, so that we may address the very real needs and concerns of
the people, whom we serve, both as elected officials and religious leaders. Our
precise tasks as political and religious leaders may be different, but first
and foremost our care is always our people. In this region, we recognize the
diversity of our peoples, and we understand that the harmonious co-existence of
the Abrahamic faiths is essential to the integrity of the Holy Land.
As we acknowledge the importance of this harmonious
co-existence, we must make it clear that the Churches condemn all violence, all
acts of terror, and all attempts to persecute individuals and communities. We
also condemn all crimes that are committed against shrines, places of worship,
cemeteries, and other sacred sites. The peace that we seek for our region can
never be built on the foundation of such acts.
In the work of building a society based on peace,
justice, and reconciliation, we have learnt the power of dialogue. To be
engaged in constructive dialogue does not mean that we have to settle every
question, or reach a full consensus in every matter. The power of dialogue
rests precisely in the fruit that it bears.
The chief fruit of genuine dialogue is a spirit of
deeper understanding. Dialogue reduces tension, eradicates prejudice, and
promotes compassion. These fruits of dialogue are essential to the health of
the human community.
The Christian communities of the Holy Land place
dialogue at the centre of our common mission. Although divided in some
respects, the Churches have been committed to dialogue, and are now enjoying
the fruits of this endeavor. We have worked seriously to eradicate animosity
and prejudice, and to heal memories, and although this work continues, and
there is still much to do, we have seen its results. Perhaps the most striking
recent example of the fruits of our dialogue was the meeting earlier this year
of His Holiness Pope Francis and His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew in the
Church of the Holy Sepulcher. This visible expression of common purpose was
dialogue in action, and we cannot underestimate the power of such action to
shape the consciousness of our people. When words fail us, our actions may
speak more eloquently.
The Holy Land is a living witness to the dialogue
between God and humanity. Here God and humanity have conversed down the ages.
Here the divine presence has been made manifest among us. Here sacred history
and eternity have met. In the divine-human dialogue we have the paradigm for
our own dialogue among our different faith traditions and peoples. Dialogue in
human affairs is therefore not a choice for us, but an inherent responsibility.
Where true dialogue exists, the divine light shines brightly.
It is in this regard that the Status Quo has been, and
remains, an essential foundation of true dialogue, and it is therefore the
responsibility of all of us, whether in the civic or the religious sphere, to
ensure that the traditional rights of all are upheld and respected. This Status
Quo has deep roots in our collective history and consciousness, as well as
sanctioned practices on the ground, which help to preserve the essential
diversity of our region and beloved Holy Land.
In the interest of maintaining the Status Quo emerges
the concern to ensure freedom of access for our faithful to the Holy Places for
the celebration of the feasts of the Church. We indeed appreciate the difficult
work of the authorities in maintaining safety and order, and we acknowledge the
good will of many in leadership. But we also urge continued earnest attempts to
find ways to expand and guarantee access for our respective communities and the
many thousands of pilgrims who come to the Holy Land to take part in ceremonies
of worship throughout the year.
It should be mentioned that the Heads of Churches of
the Holy Land do not represent ourselves and our respective communities only.
We represent the entire Christian world. Under the universally acknowledged
senior status of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, we play a unique and crucial
role as bridge-builders in the work of reconciliation
and the deepening of co-existence throughout our region. It is precisely
because of our collective role that Jerusalem and the Holy Land maintain their
unique religious, cultural and ethnic landscape.
As we celebrate this season of light, let us remember
that committed, respectful dialogue is the truest basis for the longing of all
our hearts for peace and reconciliation.
As we greet you, Mr. President, on behalf of the
Churches and Christian communities of the Holy Land on this special occasion,
your first holiday season in your honourable presidential office, may God bless
you in your new responsibilities, and may God bless our beloved Holy Land.
We wish you a happy and peaceful New Year. Hag
sammeach!
Thank you.
His Beatitude
THEOPHILOS III
Patriarch of Jerusalem
THEOPHILOS III
Patriarch of Jerusalem
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