New horizons of dialogue

In the framework of delegation exchange during respective patronal festivals (on June 29th in Rome for the celebration of Saints Peter and Paul, and on November 30th in Istanbul for the celebration of St. Andrew), Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Papal Council for the Unity of Christians, left to Istanbul, heading a delegation of the Holy See. Msgr. Brian Farrell, secretary of the ministry, and Reverend Father Vladimiro Caroli of the Oriental Section are part of that delegation. “This year, the delegation of the Holy See – it is written in a note made known by the Vatican ministry – will have a special task: bringing the special memory of the Holy Father in the first anniversary of his historical visit to Turkey, and of his meeting with his Oriental Brother”. To point out this anniversary, the Pope gives the Patriarch a precious reproduction of “The Mystic Lamb” from the vault of the Basilica of San Vitale, in Ravenna (VI century). “Owing to the subject of the work and the collocation of its original – said the Vatican ministry, – the gift hints at the recent plenary meeting of the Commission for Catholic-Orthodox Dialogue”, hosted by Archbishop of Ravenna, Msgr. Giuseppe Verucchi.DIALOGUE COMMITMENT . Every year, during the festival of Saint Andrew, the Ecumenical Patriarchate uses to receive a delegation of the Holy See. “However, this year the celebration will especially recall the historical visit which Pope Benedict XVI made last year, on November 30th, to the Ecumenical Patriarchate”. Therefore, this year’s celebration and the presence of the delegation of the Holy See represent “a special occasion to recall this first anniversary”. With those words, Archmandrite Reverend Elpidophoros, head of the Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, described the atmosphere with which the festival of Saint Andrew is going to be celebrated tomorrow, at the Church of Saint George at Phanar. The visit of Benedict XVI – said the archmandrite to SIR – was “a visit which opened new horizons to cooperation between the two Churches. And the first outcome of this collaboration came from theological dialogue, with the agreement text subscribed in Ravenna”. THE PRAYER OF THE POPE. A prayer, “that the problems encountered during the meeting of the Joint Committee in Ravenna may be cleared up and solved in order to go on with our theological dialogue, in mutual love and understanding”, was raised by Benedict XVI in his message to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. “In these first years of the third millennium – writes the Pope -, our efforts are more and more urgent, because of the challenges that are facing the Christians, which must be responded in one voice and with conviction. Once again, I wish to ensure that the Catholic Church is committed to maintaining fraternal ecclesial relations and persevering in our theological dialogue, in order to get closer and closer to a full communion, as stated in our Joint Declaration, issued last year at the end of my visit to Your Holiness”. In his message, Benedict XVI also mentions the meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch in 2006 at Fanar, which, along with the traditional presence of the delegation of the Holy See on the Day of Saint Andrew, “constitute the genuine signs of the commitment of our two Churches to a deeper communion”. RESUMING TALKS . The way to achieve this “lofty goal” – said Kasper in his address to the Patriarch, Bartholomew I – can be “steep and difficult”. And he added: “It is not up to us to fix the dates and timelines. They are in the hands of God and His providence. However, we gratefully feel that our hope and our desire for a full communion are not idle wishes”. Then, the cardinal spoke of the joint document that was approved in Ravenna a few weeks ago by the Joint Committee for Dialogue, which “can rightly be called a first step and a sound foundation for our dialogue, aimed at reinstating unity in the third millennium that has just begun”. At this point, card. Kasper mentioned the delegation of the Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church abandoning the Ravenna meeting because of the presence within the Committee of the Estonian Apostolic Church, which is recognised by the Patriarchate of Constantinople, but not by the Patriarchate of Moscow. “We are grieved and deeply sorry – said the cardinal – that a vacant place was left at our table. We ask to do all we can to fill such a vacancy, so that next time everyone can come back to the communal table of our fraternal discussions, so that everyone can make their contribution to unity and peace”. EAST AND WEST . “Today more than ever we have the duty to refer to the Christian roots of Europe”, claimed Patriarch Bartholomew in his welcoming address to the Holy See delegation. “We believe”, he added, “that Western and Eastern Europe should cease viewing each other as strangers. Relations between Latin and Orthodox Christians can constitute mutual enrichment”.