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Η ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ ΤΟΥ ΟΙΚΟΥΜΕΝΙΚΟΥ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΗ
At
the audience, Archbishop Job of Telmessos read the following letter from His
All-Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, addressed to His Holiness
Pope Francis:
Your Holiness,
The great feast of the Holy, Glorious and
All-Praiseworthy Chiefs of the Apostles, Peter and Paul, is truly an occasion
of much joy and celebration for the Church of Rome—where the saintly apostles
received their crown of martyrdom—as well as for the Church throughout the
entire oikoumene, which through them received the message of Christ’s Good News.
Therefore,
we, too, share your festive sentiments and spiritually join in your celebration
through the continuation of the blessed tradition of exchanging delegations on
the occasion of our respective Thronal Feasts. Your Holiness, our fraternal
congratulatory wishes on this feast are personally conveyed through our
Patriarchal Delegation, led by His Excellency Archbishop Job of Telmessos,
Co-President of the Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue
between our two Sister Churches, His Grace Bishop Theodoretos of Nazianzus, and
the Reverend Deacon Alexandros Koutsis, Secretary of this year’s venerable
delegation.
We sing in a
hymn for this glorious feast, the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, “citizens of
the Jerusalem on high, the rock of the faith, the preachers of the Church of
Christ, the pair of the Trinity, the fishers of the world, leaving behind today
the things on earth, have journeyed in truth to God, and they implore Him with
boldness that our souls may be saved.” (Vespers of the Feast)
Their witness of the truth of the Gospel’s message, as well as their testimony
in deed throughout the course of their lives up until their martyrdom, serve as
a constant reminder to all of us for what the genuine Christian example is in
the contemporary world, and, in this sense, is a model and a paradigm. As
Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrews exhorts us, we shall remember them
“who spoke the word of God to [us]. Consider the outcome of their way of life
and imitate their faith.” (Heb. 13:7)
The proclamation of the Gospel of Christ in today’s
secularized world, based on the model of the mission of the Glorious Apostles
Peter and Paul, is an obligation for both of our Churches. To
this end, the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church that convened on
the island of Crete in June 2016, emphasised in its Message that “the
re-evangelization of God’s people in modern, secularized societies and the
evangelization of those who have still not come to know Christ remain an
unceasing obligation for the Church.” Christian unity is a required
presupposition to efficiently fulfil this mission of the Church. Our common
witness in the face of our contemporary world’s numerous challenges constitutes
a positive testimony for the Church of Christ and for bringing us closer
together to achieving this unity. After all, it is in our common actions that
we experience the strength of unity and solidarity becoming increasingly
conscious of the misfortune of division.
It is this
sense, then, that the theological dialogue, which has continued for nearly
forty years between our sister Churches, constitutes a priority and can provide
us with much hope. We are especially delighted that the Joint
International Commission for Theological Dialogue is now entering into a new phase
and that the Coordinating Committee, which met last September on the island of
Leros, has chosen as a topic for the next stage of the dialogue: Towards Unity
in Faith: Theological and Canonical Issues. Indeed, jointly reflecting on the
theological and canonical issues that remain unresolved is essential to
restoring communion between our Sister Churches. As we are aware, drafting
committees are already working on this topic, as well as on the very important
theme of “Primacy and Synodality in the Second Millennium and Today.” We pray
that the Coordinating Committee meeting next November in the Monastery of Bose
will succeed in finalizing these two documents. And it is our hope that the
divisions of the past may be overcome in order to bring a common witness to our
contemporary world “so that with one mind and one voice we may glorify the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 15:6)
Of course, our common witness in the world cannot be
limited only to theological dialogue, but also should include common action
when facing the challenges of our times. Therefore, we were
particularly delighted to personally meet with you this past May during our
visit to your See, and to address the Centesimus Annus Foundation on their 25th
anniversary. In our address, entitled “A Common Christian Agenda for the Common
Good,” we reiterated our deep conviction that the future of humanity is related
to the resistance against the “crisis of solidarity” by the establishment of a
culture of solidarity in the fields of economy and ecology, science and
technology, as well as society and politics. As we concluded, we are called to
continue our common journey, our theological dialogue, our common struggle and
our common Christian witness of love.
Therefore, filled with hope, we look forward to
meeting with you and the heads of the Christian Churches of the Middle East in
Bari next month in order to pray and reflect on peace and reconciliation. We
are certain that our role as Churches is crucial for peace on the earth. True
peace in the world is not simply the absence of war but essentially the
presence of freedom, justice and solidarity. The world expects our Churches to
guide people to the depth of this truth, to a change of mind and life, and to a
mutual understanding. In this sense, the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox
Church underlined that “Honest interfaith dialogue contributes to the
development of mutual trust and to the promotion of peace and reconciliation.
[…] True peace is not achieved by force of arms, but only through love that
‘does not seek its own.’ (1 Cor 13:5) The oil of faith must be used to soothe
and heal the wounds of others, not to rekindle new fires of hatred.”
(Encyclical, par. 17)
Your Holiness, dearest Brother Francis, as we
celebrate today the Thronal Feast of the Church of Rome, we repeat our deepest
desire for our common advancement on the journey towards the communion of our
Churches; as our hymnography claims: “A joyous feast has shone out today on the
ends of the earth, the all-honored memorial of the wisest Apostles and their
princes, Peter and Paul; and so Rome dances and rejoices. Let
us also, brethren, celebrate in songs and psalms this allrevered day”
(Aposticha, Vespers of the Feast).
We pray that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may grant
you health, strength, peace and length of days to continue your ministry for
the precious souls entrusted to your Papal care and wisdom. Conveying
to Your Holiness, the venerable Hierarchs and the Christ-loving faithful of
your Church, our warmest greetings, we embrace you fraternally and remain with
much honor and love in the Lord—who we pray will strengthen our faith and lead
us towards unity.
At the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the twenty-ninth of
June, 2018
Your Holiness’ beloved brother in Christ,
+ Bartholomew,
Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical
Patriarch
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Pope: Prayerful
hopes for greater experience of unity
On
the eve of the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Pope Francis receives the
traditional delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
By
Christopher Wells - vaticannews
Pope Francis on Thursday received members of a
delegation representing the Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew I, the primus
inter pares (first among equals) of the heads of the autocephalous
churches the make up the Eastern Orthodox Church.
At
the audience, Pope Francis welcomed the delegation as a “a sign of the growth
of communion between the Catholic Church and the Ecumenical Patriarch,” while
also recalling “the common roots of our sister Churches.”
The
Holy Father spoke in his address about a “gradual dimming of the light of
faith” in many traditionally Christian societies, marked by “contempt for the
dignity of the human person, the idolatry of money, the spread of violence, a
totalizing view of science and technology, [and] the reckless exploitation of
natural resources.” Quoting Bartholomew, Pope Francis said we must reject the
“cynical phrase ‘there is no alternative.’” Rather, “our Churches can create
new possibilities of transformation for our world.”
He
continued, “It is comforting for me to realize that this convergence of views
with my beloved brother Bartholomew is being translated into a concrete common
effort.” Among those common efforts, he noted initiatives aimed at combating
modern forms of slavery, protecting creation, and promoting peace. The Pope
also looked forward to a meeting with the Heads of Churches and Christian
Communities of the Middle East, which the Ecumenical Patriarch will also be
attending.
“It
is my prayerful hope,” Pope Francis said, “that there will be increased
opportunities for us Catholics and Orthodox at all levels to work together,
pray together and proclaim together the one Gospel of Jesus Christ received
from the apostolic preaching, in order to experience ever fully in our shared
journey the unity that by God’s grace already joins us.”
The
now customary audience is taking place in the context of the mutual exchange of
delegations for the feasts of the heavenly patrons of respective Churches: the
visit of the Orthodox delegation to Rome for the feast of Sts Peter and Paul
being reciprocated with a Catholic delegation to Constantinople (modern
Istanbul) for the feast of St Andrew at the end of November. The delegation of
the Ecumenical Patriarch is being led by Archbishop Job of Telmissos, the
co-president of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue
Between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, who is accompanied by
Theodoretos, Bishop of Nazianzos, and Deacon Alexander Koutsis.
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