This fraternal encounter which brings us together, Pope Benedict XVI of Rome and Ecumenical
Patriarch Bartholomew I, is God's work, and in a certain sense his
gift. We give thanks to the Author of all that is good, who allows us once
again, in prayer and in dialogue, to express the joy we feel as brothers and to
renew our commitment to move towards full communion.
This
commitment comes from the Lord's will and from our responsibility as Pastors in
the Church of Christ. May our meeting be a sign
and an encouragement to us to share the same sentiments and the same attitudes
of fraternity, cooperation and communion in charity and truth. The Holy
Spirit will help us to prepare the great day of the re-establishment of full
unity, whenever and however God wills it. Then we shall truly be able to
rejoice and be glad.
1. We have recalled with thankfulness the meetings of our venerable predecessors,
blessed by the Lord, who showed the world the urgent need for unity and traced
sure paths for attaining it, through dialogue, prayer and the daily life of the
Church. Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras I went as pilgrims to Jerusalem, to the very place where Jesus Christ died and
rose again for the salvation of the world, and they also met again, here in the
Phanar and in Rome. They
left us a common declaration which retains all its value; it emphasizes
that true dialogue in charity must sustain and inspire all relations between
individuals and between Churches, that it "must be rooted in a total fidelity
to the one Lord Jesus Christ and in mutual respect for their own traditions" (Tomos Agapis, 195). Nor have we
forgotten the reciprocal visits of His Holiness Pope John Paul II and His
Holiness Dimitrios I. It was during the visit of Pope John Paul II, his
first ecumenical visit, that the creation of the Mixed Commission for
theological dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church
was announced. This has brought together our Churches in the declared aim
of re-establishing full communion.
As far as relations between the Church of Rome and the Church of Constantinople
are concerned, we cannot fail to recall the solemn ecclesial act effacing the
memory of the ancient anathemas which for centuries had a negative effect on
our Churches. We have not yet drawn from this act all the positive
consequences which can flow from it in our progress towards full unity, to
which the mixed Commission is called to make an important contribution. We
exhort our faithful to take an active part in this process, through prayer and
through significant gestures.
2. At the time of the plenary session of the mixed Commission for theological
dialogue, which was recently held in Belgrade
through the generous hospitality of the Serbian Orthodox Church, we expressed
our profound joy at the resumption of the theological dialogue. This had
been interrupted for several years because of various difficulties, but now the
Commission was able to work afresh in a spirit of friendship and
cooperation. In treating the topic "Conciliarity and Authority in the
Church" at local, regional and universal levels, the Commission undertook a
phase of study on the ecclesiological and canonical consequences of the
sacramental nature of the Church. This will permit us to address some of
the principal questions that are still unresolved. We are committed to offer
unceasing support, as in the past, to the work entrusted to this Commission and
we accompany its members with our prayers.
3. As Pastors, we have first of all reflected on the mission to proclaim the
Gospel in today's world. This mission, "Go, make disciples of all nations"
(Mt 28:19), is today more
timely and necessary than ever, even in traditionally Christian
countries. Moreover, we cannot ignore the increase of secularization,
relativism, even nihilism, especially in the Western world. All this calls
for a renewed and powerful proclamation of the Gospel, adapted to the cultures
of our time. Our traditions represent for us a patrimony which must be
continually shared, proposed, and interpreted anew. This is why we must
strengthen our cooperation and our common witness before the world.
4. We have viewed positively the process that has led to the formation of the
European Union. Those engaged in this great project should not fail to
take into consideration all aspects affecting the inalienable rights of the
human person, especially religious freedom, a witness and guarantor of respect
for all other freedoms. In every step towards unification, minorities must
be protected, with their cultural traditions and the distinguishing features of
their religion. In Europe, while remaining open to other religions and to
their cultural contributions, we must unite our efforts to preserve Christian
roots, traditions and values, to ensure respect for history, and thus to
contribute to the European culture of the future and to the quality of human
relations at every level. In this context, how could we not evoke the very
ancient witnesses and the illustrious Christian heritage of the land in which
our meeting is taking place, beginning with what the Acts of the Apostles tells us
concerning the figure of Saint Paul,
Apostle of the Gentiles? In this land, the Gospel message and the ancient
cultural tradition met. This link, which has contributed so much to the
Christian heritage that we share, remains timely and will bear more fruit in
the future for evangelization and for our unity.
5. Our concern extends to those parts of today's world where Christians live
and to the difficulties they have to face, particularly poverty, wars and
terrorism, but equally to various forms of exploitation of the poor, of
migrants, women and children. We are called to work together to promote
respect for the rights of every human being, created in the image and likeness
of God, and to foster economic, social and cultural development. Our
theological and ethical traditions can offer a solid basis for a united
approach in preaching and action. Above all, we wish to affirm that
killing innocent people in God's name is an offence against him and against
human dignity. We must all commit ourselves to the renewed service of
humanity and the defense of human life, every human life.
We take profoundly to heart the cause of peace in the Middle East, where our
Lord lived, suffered, died and rose again, and where a great multitude of our
Christian brethren have lived for centuries. We fervently hope that peace
will be re-established in that region, that respectful coexistence will be
strengthened between the different peoples that live there, between the
Churches and between the different religions found there. To this end, we
encourage the establishment of closer relationships between Christians, and of
an authentic and honest interreligious dialogue, with a view to combating every
form of violence and discrimination.
6. At present, in the face of the great threats to the natural environment, we
want to express our concern at the negative consequences for humanity and for
the whole of creation which can result from economic and technological progress
that does not know its limits. As religious leaders, we consider it one of
our duties to encourage and to support all efforts made to protect God's
creation, and to bequeath to future generations a world in which they will be
able to live.
7. Finally, our thoughts turn towards all of you, the faithful of our two
Churches throughout the world, Bishops, priests, deacons, men and women
religious, lay men and women engaged in ecclesial service, and all the
baptized. In Christ we greet other Christians, assuring them of our
prayers and our openness to dialogue and cooperation. In the words of the
Apostle of the Gentiles, we greet all of you: "Grace to you and peace from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (2
Cor 1:2).
At the Phanar, 30 November 2006
Benedict XVI
Bartholomew I
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