An historic visit

The official visit to the Orthodox Archbishop of Cyprus, Chrysostomos II, began yesterday, 12 June. It will culminate on Saturday, 16 June, with an audience with Benedict XVI. It is in fact the first visit of the archbishop of Cyprus to the Pope in history, even though the Orthodox Church of Cyprus is one of the most ancient (founded in 46 AD). The papal audience had already been intimated in early May in a briefing to SIR by Georgios, Orthodox bishop of Paphos; Georgios also revealed some of the questions that would be on the agenda, in particular “the request for Benedict XVI’s help with regard to the partition of Cyprus. “It’s difficult – the bishop had said – for our Christians to visit the churches in the Turkish-Cypriot side of the island. Several hundred churches there have been de-consecrated, sacked, transformed into mosques, or even into warehouses or stables”. Many analysts also expect from this visit a further step in the improvement of relations between the Church of Rome and the Russian Orthodox Church. Chrysostomos, in a recent interview with an Italian weekly, in fact expressed his conviction “that the time is now ripe for the reunification of all Christians in a common Church”, saying he was “ready to play his part in fostering a meeting between Benedict XVI and Alexei II”. A MEDIATION “POSSIBLE”. A historical visit, the first one by an Orthodox archbishop from Cyprus to the Pope. We are happy because it means that the Cyprus Orthodox Church is also looking outside its borders, at Europe, at the Catholic Church, in the perspective of dialogue”. With these words, Msgr. Giorgio Khoury, secretary of the Maronite Church of Cyprus, representing the most numerous group of local faithful believers, over 5 thousand, welcomes the visit to the Vatican, from tomorrow to 18 June, paid by the Orthodox archbishop of Cyprus, Chrysostomos II. “Through this journey, Chrysostomos’ intention – said the Maronite to SIR – is to approach Europe and ask for the support of the Pope, to make known the problems of Christian churches, Orthodox as well as Catholic churches, located in the Turkish Cypriot side, where so many monasteries were destroyed or even changed into mosques, or maybe destined to other uses. According to Chrysostomos, it is important to recover them to render them usable for believers. Chrysostomos knows well that an opening towards the Catholic Church would be positive. And he also knows that Benedict XVI would appreciate a move towards the Russian Orthodox Church. In this respect – stated the Maronite secretary, – it is possible to expect a mediation attempt with Alexis. It is difficult to say what the result will be, but Chrysostomos will make the attempt”.A CHALLENGING PROGRAMME. The programme of the visit of Chrysostomos II to the Vatican is packed. The head of the Cypriot Orthodox Church will meet various exponents of the Catholic Church and of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, beginning this morning with a meeting with the President of the Italian episcopate, Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco. Immediately after, Chrysostomos will pay visits first to Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, and then to the Holy See’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. Tomorrow, 14 June, Chrysostomos will receive an honorary doctorate in missiology from the Pontifical Urbanian University, while in the afternoon he will be received by Italian Premier Romano Prodi in the Palazzo Chigi (seat of the government), on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaties of Rome. On Friday the Cypriot archbishop will have meetings with Cardinals Renato R. Martino, President of the Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace, and with Paul Poupard, President of the Pontifical Councils for Culture and for Inter-religious Dialogue. The day will end with a visit to the Community of St. Egidio in the evening. Saturday will be the day of the audience with Benedict XVI. That will be followed by a press conference. On Sunday, 17 June the Orthodox archbishop will travel to Naples for a meeting with Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, in preparation for the international meeting of prayer for peace, due to be held in Naples in October. Two appointments are planned for the following day: a meeting with a group of Communion and Liberation and then one with a representation of journalists of the Italian and international Catholic press.HISTORICAL BACKGROUND. The southern part of Cyprus, Greek and Christian, has been a member of the EU since 1st May 2004. The northern zone was occupied by Turkey in 1974, and continues to be controlled by Turkey with an occupying force of over 40,000 troops. Following the occupation, some 200,000 Greek-Cypriots of Orthodox Christian faith fled to the south. In 1983 Turkey created a Turkish Republic in northern Cyprus. Here live some 180,000 inhabitants, of whom over 100,000 colonists from Anatolia. A wall controlled by UN peacekeeping forces partitions the island and cuts in two the capital Nicosia. In April 2004 the UNO submitted to a referendum a plan for a confederation between the two states; but the Greek-Cypriots of the South rejected it. The press office of the Cypriot government (www.moi.gov.cy/pio – www.mfa.gov.cy) attests that over 500 Greek-Orthodox churches and chapels have either been demolished or are at risk in the northern zone of the island. To this day it is not known what has happened to the objects and sacred furnishings of these churches that once contained a heritage of over 15,000 icons.