The roots of the future

The visit of Chrysostomos II, Archbishop of New Justiniana and All Cyprus, to the Vatican, began on 6 June (see SIR 44/2007). It culminated with the audience with Benedict XVI, in the course of which a joint declaration was signed. During his six-day visit to Italy, the Orthodox Primate of Cyprus also met with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, and with Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. The visit ended with a press conference on 18 June. A DETERMINATION TO “INTENSIFY the search for full unity between all Christians, and to support and promote theological dialogue” through the international Commission, since “substantial agreement for full communion in faith, in sacramental life and in the exercise of the pastoral ministry needs to be reached”: so begins the joint declaration of Benedict XVI and Chrysostomos II. But the declaration is not confined to ecumenical dialogue: it also reviews the situation in the Middle East, “where the war and conflicts between the peoples risk spreading with disastrous consequences”, as well as current issues of bioethics and the Christian roots of Europe. MIDDLE EAST AND HUMAN RIGHTS. “Our Churches intend to play a role of pacification in justice and solidarity [in the Middle East] and, to this end, it is our desire to promote brotherly relations between all Christians and a sincere dialogue between the various religions present and operating in the region”, says the declaration, which also makes an appeal “to all those, wherever they be in the world, who raise their hand against their own brothers, resolutely exhorting them to lay down their arms and work to heal the wounds caused by war. We also urge them to strive to ensure that human rights be always defended, in every nation, and that they include in first place the right to freedom of religion”. EUROPEAN UNION AND CHRISTIAN ROOTS. In the construction of the EU, says the joint declaration, “Catholics and Orthodox are called to offer a renewed common witness on ethical values. The EU, which cannot be limited to a merely economic cooperation, needs solid cultural foundations, shared ethical principles and the opening to the religious dimension. We need to revive the Christian roots of Europe, which have made its civilization great through the centuries, and recognize that the Western Christian tradition and that of the Orient have, in this sense, an important common task to perform”. BIOETHICS AND THE ENVIRONMENT. Benedict XVI and Chrysostomos II express their concern about the “way in which questions of bioethics are being tackled”. “The exploitation of the human being, abusive forms of experimentation, and experiments of genetics that fail to respect ethical values cause offence to life and violate the integrity and dignity of each human being. They cannot, nor should be, justified or permitted at any stage in that person’s existence”. The Pope and the Cypriot Primate then appeal to the more advanced nations “not to forget their brothers” who live in the poorer countries and “to favour a just redistribution of the earth’s resources”. They also express their equal concern about the risk of the destruction of the creation. CYPRUS AND TURKEY. The Cypriot Orthodox Church is not opposed to Turkey’s possible entry into the European Union, if this may help to foster respect for human rights in Turkey. That in sum is the message that Chrysostomos II expressed to journalists in the press conference at the end of his visit to the Vatican. “We wish – he declared – that Turkey should enter Europe, for in this way it would be forced to comply with European standards and respect human rights. This accession is in Cyprus’s interest”. Yet the Archbishop has long been engaged in a dispute with the authorities of the northern part of Cyprus, occupied by Turkey, to obtain permission to restore over 500 churches and places of Christian worship that are situated there and that have in part been decommissioned and converted into “mosques, night-clubs, dance halls, even stables” (see SIR no. 33/2007). As for Cyprus’s membership of the EU, Chrysostomos presented a “wholly positive” assessment, also in view of her adoption of the euro in the near future: “With the accession of Cyprus, Europe extends to the Middle East. Cyprus is a bridge between East and West. EU membership has been to the benefit of both sides”. ALEXEI II AND BENEDICT XVI. In recent days there has been a lot of talk of a possible mediation of Chrysostomos in arranging a meeting between the Pope of Rome and Patriarch Alexei II of Russia. In his attempt, “not requested but offered”, to broker such a meeting, the Orthodox Patriarch of Cyprus has canvassed the idea of the island as “a possible venue for it. We are open to all suggestions and hope that the contacts may lead to a positive result”. “In July – he confirmed – I will leave for Moscow where I will meet the Patriarch and also ask to see Putin, though such a meeting is not yet on the programme”.