Joint efforts

For the first time Cardinal Kurt Koch headed the Holy See delegation for the Feast of Saint Andrew (November 30), patron Saint of the ecumenical patriarchate, in the framework of the yearly exchange of delegations for the respective feasts of the patron saints. The president of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity was accompanied by the Secretary of the dycastery, Msgr. Brian Farrell, and by reverend Andrea Palmieri. In Instanbul the apostolic nuncio in Turkey Msgr. Antonio Lucibello joined the delegation, which attended the solemn liturgy presided over by Bartholomew in the Fanar Patriarchal church, and had meetings with the patriarch and with the synod commission in charge of relations with the Catholic Church. Cardinal Koch delivered a message from the Pope to Patriarch Bartholomew, accompanied by a gift. Benedict XVI’s message. The Holy Father asked the Patriarch to continue to witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in contemporary society. The Pope writes, the Feast of Saint Andrew “issues a strong summons” to become “tireless heralds of faith in Christ through their words and the witness of their lives”. “In modern times, this summons is as urgent as ever and it applies to all Christians. In a world marked by growing interdependence and solidarity, we are called to proclaim with renewed conviction the truth of the Gospel and to present the Risen Lord as the answer to the deepest questions and spiritual aspirations of the men and women of our day. If we are to succeed in this great task, we need to continue our progress along the path towards full communion, demonstrating that we have already united our efforts for a common witness to the Gospel before the people of our day”. For this reason the pope expressed his “sincere gratitude” to the Ecumenical Patriarchate “for the generous hospitality offered last October on the island of Rhodes to the Delegates of the Catholic Episcopal Conferences of Europe who came together with representatives of the Orthodox Churches in Europe for the Second Catholic-Orthodox Forum on the theme “Church-State Relations: Theological and Historical Perspectives”. The words of the Patriarch. In his address to the Vatican delegation, which he described as “a sign of the fraternal bond of friendship and affection”, Patriarch Bartholomew I observed, “The Churches of Rome and Costantinople are obliged once more to restore the ties of communion, and show that they are worthy of the spiritual repository passed down by apostles Paul and Andrew”. In his long speech Patriarch Bartholomew recalled the 50-year-long ecumenical activity of the Pontifical Council, broaching its historical development and referring to its protagonists. Bartholomew underlined the importance “of official theological dialogue between the Churches” since “unity in love is of no benefit unless it is simultaneously a unity in faith and truth”. The Patriarch thus assured the members of the Vatican delegation “that all Orthodox autocephalous Churches have unanimously decided to preserve the theological dialogue, in order to analyse with love and sincerity, the theological questions that unite us and those that divide us, until we all arrive at the unity of faith”. “In following with increased interest the development of this theological dialogue from our Ecumenical Patriarchate” – the Patriarch said – “we pray for its success, especially during it present phase when controversial subjects, which in the past proved cause of acute conflict among our Churches, are being discussed”. To this regard, according to Bartholomew I, the recent plenary of the dialogue Commission in Vienna under the joint presidency of Cardinal Koch and Metropolitan John of Pergamon, “revealed the existing difficulties but also the disposition and decision of all members of the Commission to overcome these difficulties with love as well as with faithfulness to the doctrine and life of the Church transmitted to us from the first millennium in order to advance to their resolution”. Whilst recalling the preaching of Apostles Peter and Andrew, the Patriarch exhorted the Churches of Rome and Costantinople “to regain this bond of communion”. “Even today, facing manifold impasses, the world seeks redemption and salvation. However, those who preach Christ in separation from one another cannot persuade the world”. “Faithful to the authentic and authoritative message of the Apostles, we are called “with one mouth and one heart”, the Patriarch concluded.