RUSSIA: HOPES. “I hope that the period in which Your Holiness is pope may see a development of the friendly relations between our Churches and a fruitful dialogue between Orthodox and Catholics”, writes the Patriarch of Moscow and of all the Russias Alexis II in a letter to Pope Benedict XVI. It is a message that was eagerly awaited, since the relations between Moscow and Rome always represented for the pontificate of John Paul II a crucial ecumenical hurdle, which only thanks to the mediation of Cardinal Walter Kasper (president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity) registered some small but important steps forward last year, such as the setting up of a bilateral committee for the resolution of the most urgent problems. The development of a “fruitful dialogue” between Catholics and Orthodox, writes Alexis, represents “one of the most crucial tasks of Christianity. Our Churches, with their authority and their influences, must be able to unite their efforts to bring Christian values into the modern mentality”. The hopes of the Russian Orthodox world in the pontificate of Benedict XVI have also been expressed by the Orthodox bishop of Vienna and Austria Hilarion Alfeyev. The first hope is that in Europe “the Catholic Church may continue to preserve its traditional doctrinal and moral teaching”, especially on the questions of homosexual marriages, abortion, contraception and euthanasia. The Russian Church also hopes that “the new pontificate may mark an opening up of relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church and that “a meeting between the pope and the Patriarch of Moscow may take place”. In this regard, Bishop Hilarion recalls that in 2000 the Catholic-Orthodox bilateral theological Commission had placed in discussion the question of uniatism (that of the Eastern Churches that retain their own liturgy but submit to papal authority). On that occasion, no agreement was reached and the question continued to cause “frustration, disapproval and bitterness on both sides. “I hope – writes the Orthodox bishop – that the Commission may resume its work under the new pontificate” and that discussions may be revived “about uniatism, primacy and other theological and ecclesiological questions that still divide our churches”. “My fear – confesses the Russian bishop – is that by concentrating exclusively on the questions that divide us, we can too easily lose precious time for a common witness in the secularised world. Europe, in particular, has rapidly become de-Christianized and has an urgent need to rediscover its Christian identity. I profoundly believe that the time has come for Catholics and Orthodox to unite their efforts”, form “an Alliance” in Europe and speak “with one voice”. ANGLICANS: ROWAN WILLIAMS, “I HOPE TO MEET HIM SOON”. “We wish Benedict XVI every blessing in the immense responsibilities he is about to assume on behalf of Roman Catholics round the world. His election is also of great significance to Christians everywhere”. In these words the Anglican Primate and Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, welcomed the election of Joseph Ratzinger as pope with the name of Benedict XVI. Williams also says he is “looking forward to meeting him and working together to build on the legacy of his predecessor”. “He is a theologian of great stature, who has written some profound reflections on the nature of God and the church concludes Archbishop Williams . His choice of the name Benedict suggests that he wants to connect his vision of the Church to the monastic spirit of service and contemplation”. FRÈRE ROGER (TAIZÉ), IN CONTINUITY WITH JOHN PAUL II. “Benedict XVI’s first words were a tribute to ‘the great Pope John Paul II’ who aroused such strong hopes in the human family. At Taizé, we are praying that the new Pope may continue the exceptional ministry of peace and communion of John Paul II”, declared frère Roger, founder of the ecumenical community of Taizé, on hearing the news of the election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as pope. Frère Roger added: “We hope in particular that the new generations may be supported in their efforts to live the Gospel today”. THE ORTHODOX. “I have followed the theological thought of Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, for many years, ever since I was a young student. I have great esteem for his thought, which has remained constant and lucid through the decades. It’s a guarantee for Orthodoxy and for the good of the faith”, commented Metropolitan Athanasios Chatzopoulos, metropolitan bishop of the Orthodox Church of Athens and of all Greece, on hearing news of the election of the new pope. Chatzopoulos is a convinced supporter of a united Europe. In Brussels he is archiepiscopal delegate for relations with the EU institutions: “I think he added that the choice of the name Benedict, founder of Western monasticism, is intended to indicate to us the way of the rediscovery of the spiritual dimension of the ‘common home’ of all Europeans. Orthodox Metropolitan Daniel of Romania added: “The new Pope is perhaps the greatest theologian of the Catholic Church, and therefore knows our Orthodox Church very well. Even though we don’t yet know what his position will be, we can we absolutely sure that he is a man of dialogue”. ———————————————————————————————————– Sir Europa (English) N.ro assoluto : 1382 N.ro relativo : 31 Data pubblicazione : 22/04/05
