Pope
Francis stands with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I as they meet outside
the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (CNS)
1.
Like our venerable predecessors Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch
Athenagoras who met here in Jerusalem fifty years ago, we too, Pope Francis
and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, were determined to meet in the Holy Land
“where our common Redeemer, Christ our Lord, lived, taught, died, rose again,
and ascended into Heaven, whence he sent the Holy Spirit on the infant Church”
(Common communiqué of Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras, published after
their meeting of 6 January 1964). Our meeting, another encounter of the
Bishops of the Churches of Rome and Constantinople founded respectively by the two
Brothers the Apostles Peter and Andrew, is a source of profound spiritual joy
for us. It presents a providential occasion to reflect on the depth and the
authenticity of our existing bonds, themselves the fruit of a grace-filled
journey on which the Lord has guided us since that blessed day of fifty years
ago.
2.
Our fraternal encounter today is a new and necessary step on the journey
towards the unity to which only the Holy Spirit can lead us, that of communion
in legitimate diversity. We call to mind with profound gratitude the steps
that the Lord has already enabled us to undertake. The embrace exchanged
between Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras here in
Jerusalem, after many centuries of silence,
paved the way for a momentous gesture, the removal from the memory and from
the midst of the Church of the acts of mutual excommunication in 1054. This
was followed by an exchange of visits between the respective Sees of Rome and
Constantinople, by regular correspondence and, later,
by the decision announced by Pope John Paul II and Patriarch Dimitrios, of
blessed memory both, to initiate a theological dialogue of truth between
Catholics and Orthodox. Over these years, God, the source of all peace and
love, has taught us to regard one another as members of the same Christian
family, under one Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and to love one another, so
that we may confess our faith in the same Gospel of Christ, as received by the
Apostles and expressed and transmitted to us by the Ecumenical Councils and
the Church Fathers. While fully aware of not having reached the goal of full
communion, today we confirm our commitment to continue walking together
towards the unity for which Christ our Lord prayed to the Father so “that all
may be one” (Jn 17:21).
3.
Well aware that unity is manifested in love of God and love of neighbour, we
look forward in eager anticipation to the day in which we will finally partake
together in the Eucharistic banquet. As Christians, we are called to prepare
to receive this gift of Eucharistic communion, according to the teaching of
Saint Irenaeus of Lyon (Against Heresies, IV,18,5, PG 7,1028), through the
confession of the one faith, persevering prayer, inner conversion, renewal of
life and fraternal dialogue. By achieving this hoped for goal, we will
manifest to the world the love of God by which we are recognized as true
disciples of Jesus Christ (cf. Jn 13:35).
4.
To this end, the theological dialogue undertaken by the Joint International
Commission offers a fundamental contribution to the search for full communion
among Catholics and Orthodox. Throughout the subsequent times of Popes John
Paul II and Benedict the XVI, and Patriarch Dimitrios, the progress of our
theological encounters has been substantial. Today we express heartfelt
appreciation for the achievements to date, as well as for the current
endeavours. This is no mere theoretical exercise, but an exercise in truth and
love that demands an ever deeper knowledge of each other’s traditions in order
to understand them and to learn from them. Thus we affirm once again that the
theological dialogue does not seek a theological lowest common denominator on
which to reach a compromise, but is rather about deepening one’s grasp of the
whole truth that Christ has given to his Church, a truth that we never cease
to understand better as we follow the Holy Spirit’s promptings. Hence, we
affirm together that our faithfulness to the Lord demands fraternal encounter
and true dialogue. Such a common pursuit does not lead us away from the truth;
rather, through an exchange of gifts, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit,
it will lead us into all truth (cf. Jn 16:13).
5.
Yet even as we make this journey towards full communion we already have the
duty to offer common witness to the love of God for all people by working
together in the service of humanity, especially in defending the dignity of
the human person at every stage of life and the sanctity of family based on
marriage, in promoting peace and the common good, and in responding to the
suffering that continues to afflict our world. We acknowledge that hunger,
poverty, illiteracy, the inequitable distribution of resources must constantly
be addressed. It is our duty to seek to build together a just and humane
society in which no-one feels excluded or
emarginated.
6.
It is our profound conviction that the future of the human family depends also
on how we safeguard – both prudently and compassionately, with justice and
fairness – the gift of creation that our Creator has entrusted to us.
Therefore, we acknowledge in repentance the wrongful mistreatment of our
planet, which is tantamount to sin before the eyes of God. We reaffirm our
responsibility and obligation to foster a sense of humility and moderation so
that all may feel the need to respect creation and to safeguard it with care.
Together, we pledge our commitment to raising awareness about the stewardship
of creation; we appeal to all people of goodwill to consider ways of living
less wastefully and more frugally, manifesting less greed and more generosity
for the protection of God’s world and the benefit of His
people.
7.
There is likewise an urgent need for effective and committed cooperation of
Christians in order to safeguard everywhere the right to express publicly
one’s faith and to be treated fairly when promoting that which Christianity
continues to offer to contemporary society and culture. In this regard, we
invite all Christians to promote an authentic dialogue with Judaism, Islam and
other religious traditions. Indifference and mutual ignorance can only lead to
mistrust and unfortunately even conflict.
8.
From this holy city of Jerusalem, we express our shared profound
concern for the situation of Christians in the Middle East and for their right to remain full
citizens of their homelands. In trust we turn to the almighty and merciful God
in a prayer for peace in the Holy Land and in the Middle East in general. We especially pray for the
Churches in Egypt,
Syria, and
Iraq, which have suffered most grievously
due to recent events. We encourage all parties regardless of their religious
convictions to continue to work for reconciliation and for the just
recognition of peoples’ rights. We are persuaded that it is not arms, but
dialogue, pardon and reconciliation that are the only possible means to
achieve peace.
9.
In an historical context marked by violence, indifference and egoism, many men
and women today feel that they have lost their bearings. It is precisely
through our common witness to the good news of the Gospel that we may be able
to help the people of our time to rediscover the way that leads to truth,
justice and peace. United in our intentions, and recalling the example, fifty
years ago here in Jerusalem, of Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras, we
call upon all Christians, together with believers of every religious tradition
and all people of good will, to recognize the urgency of the hour that compels
us to seek the reconciliation and unity of the human family, while fully
respecting legitimate differences, for the good of all humanity and of future
generations.
10.
In undertaking this shared pilgrimage to the site where our one same Lord
Jesus Christ was crucified, buried and rose again, we humbly commend to the
intercession of the Most Holy and Ever Virgin Mary our future steps on the
path towards the fullness of unity, entrusting to God’s infinite love the
entire human family. “ May the Lord let his face shine upon you, and be
gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!” (Num
6:25-26).
Jerusalem, 25 May 2014
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