SEIA NEWSLETTER on the Eastern Churches and Ecumenism
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SEIA NEWSLETTER On the Eastern Churches and Ecumenism _______________________________________________________________________________________ Number 182: November 30, 2010 Washington, DC The Feast of Saint Andrew at sues a strong summons to all those who by HIS IS THE ADDRESS GIVEN BY ECU - The Ecumenical Patriarchate God’s grace and through the gift of Baptism MENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLO - have accepted that message of salvation to TMEW AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE renew their fidelity to the Apostolic teach- LITURGY COMMEMORATING SAINT S IS TRADITIONAL FOR THE EAST F ing and to become tireless heralds of faith ANDREW ON NOVEMBER 30: OF ST. ANDREW , A HOLY SEE in Christ through their words and the wit- Your Eminence, Cardinal Kurt Koch, ADELEGATION , LED BY CARDINAL ness of their lives. with your honorable entourage, KURT KOCH , PRESIDENT OF THE PONTIFI - In modern times, this summons is as representing His Holiness the Bishop of CAL COUNCIL FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN urgent as ever and it applies to all Chris- senior Rome and our beloved brother in the UNITY , HAS TRAVELLED TO ISTANBUL TO tians. In a world marked by growing inter- Lord, Pope Benedict, and the Church that PARTICIPATE IN THE CELEBRATIONS for the dependence and solidarity, we are called to he leads, saint, patron of the Ecumenical Patriarchate proclaim with renewed conviction the truth It is with great joy that we greet your of Constantinople. Every year the Patriar- of the Gospel and to present the Risen Lord presence at the Thronal Feast of our Most chate sends a delegation to Rome for the as the answer to the deepest questions and Holy Church of Constantinople and express Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul Apostles, on 29 spiritual aspirations of the men and women gratitude to our brother in the Lord, Pope June. of our day. Benedict XVI, who sent you here, for his This morning the Holy See delegation If we are to succeed in this great task, gracious fraternal gesture through you to attended a divine liturgy presided by His we need to continue our progress along the participate in this festive celebration of the Holiness Bartholomew I, at the Church of path towards full communion, demonstrat- sacred commemoration of the founder of St. George at Fanar. At the end of the cer- ing that we have already united our efforts the Church in Byzantium, St. Andrew the emony Cardinal Koch delivered a special for a common witness to the Gospel before First-Called of the Apostles. It is many Message to the Patriarch from Benedict the people of our day. For this reason I years now since the establishment of an XVI. This is the full text of the Message: would like to express my sincere gratitude exchange of formal delegations at the re- to Your Holiness and to the Ecumenical spective patronal feasts of our two To His Holiness Bartholomew I Patriarchate for the generous hospitality Churches as an indication of the brotherly Archbishop of Constantinople offered last October on the island of Rhodes bonds of love and honor among us, and we Ecumenical Patriarch to the delegates of the Catholic Episcopal rejoice that this wonderful tradition is pre- It is with great joy that I write this letter to Conferences of Europe who came together served once again this year. you, to be delivered by my Venerable with representatives of the Orthodox We especially salute the presence of Brother Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of Churches in Europe for the Second Catho- Your Eminence among us for the first time the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of lic-Orthodox Forum on the theme "Church- as representative of His Holiness, congratu- Christian Unity, on the occasion of the State Relations: Theological and Historical lating you on assuming the high post of the Feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle, brother Perspectives.” presidency in the Pontifical Council for the of Saint Peter and Patron of the Ecumenical Your Holiness, I am following atten- promotion of Christian unity, as well as on Patriarchate, in order to wish Your Holi- tively your wise efforts for the good of Or- your recent elevation to the position and ness and the Members of the Holy Synod, thodoxy and for the promotion of Christian honor of Cardinal. We deeply appreciate the clergy, the monks and all the faithful an values in many international contexts. As- the broad theological knowledge and no- abundance of heavenly gifts and divine suring you of a remembrance in my prayers bility of Your Eminence’s character, to- blessings. on this Feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle, I gether with your attention to the sacred On this joyful feast-day, in union with renew my good wishes for peace, well- cause of the promotion of Christian unity. all my Catholic brothers and sisters, I join being and abundant spiritual blessings to And we look forward to your cooperation you in giving thanks to God for the wonders you and to all the faithful. with our Ecumenical Patriarchate for the he has worked, in his infinite mercy, With sentiments of esteem and spiri- further enhancement of the fraternal rela- through the mission and martyrdom of Saint tual closeness, I gladly extend to you a fra- tions between our Churches to the benefit Andrew. By generously offering their lives ternal embrace in the name of our one Lord of the promotion of unity, for which our in sacrifice for the Lord and for their breth- Jesus Christ. Lord prayed to His Father immediately ren, the Apostles proved the credibility of From the Vatican, 30 November 2010 prior to His passion. the Good News that they proclaimed to the BENEDICTUS PP XVI – Vatican We note with particular joy that this ends of the known world. The Feast of the website. year marked the completion of fifty years of Apostle, which falls on this day in the litur- life and activity for the Pontifical Council gical calendars of both East and West, is- for Christian unity, over which Your Emi- nence now presides. Our thought turns to joint presidency of Your Eminence and our The Eastern Orthodox Churches the late Pope John XXIII, who founded this most venerable brother and coworker, His Council in 1960 originally in the form of a Eminence Metropolitan John of Pergamon, N OCTOBER 28, 2010, SEVENTY - Secretariat, together with the convocation revealed the existing difficulties but also the EIGHT CHRISTIAN GRAVES WERE of the Second Vatican Council, whose bold disposition and decision of all members of OBRUTALLY DESECRATED IN THE historical decisions paved the way for the the Commission to overcome these difficul- GRAVEYARD OF PANAGIA (M ERKEZ OR participation of the Roman Catholic Church ties with love as well as with faithfulness to IMROZ ), THE CAPITAL OF THE ISLAND OF in the effort toward the reconciliation of the doctrine and life of the Church transmit- IMVROS (G OKCEADA ), IN TURKEY . Imvros Christian unity. Among the fruits of this ted to us from the first millennium in order is home to approximately 200 Greek Or- historical initiative on the part of the late to advance to their resolution. thodox Christians and the birthplace of both Pope, the development of fraternal relations In today celebrating the sacred memory His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bar- between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic of St. Andrew the First-Called of the Apos- tholomew and the late Archbishop Iakovos Churches retains a prominent place. These tles, we also turn our attention to his broth- of America. relations were forged by the great ecclesias- er, St. Peter, chief of the Apostles. These The Greek Orthodox populations of tical leaders, the late Pope Paul VI and our two brothers were not just related by blood Imvros and nearby Tenedos were largely own predecessor Ecumenical Patriarch but especially by the infinitely more signifi- forced to abandon the islands in the 1960's Athenagoras, while they were further sus- cant bond with Christ and communion in and 1970's due to a policy of systematic tained and strengthened by their successors, Christ. And they preserved this bond of ethnic cleansing by the Turkish State. De- Pope John Paul II and Ecumenical Pa- communion in Christ unimpaired for an spite recent improvement in the situation triarch Dimitrios. Thanks to the tireless entire millennium, while the Churches that for the few indigenous inhabitants remain- endeavors of your Council for Christian derived from the preaching and martyrdom ing, acts such as this one serve as a stark unity, and in particular of its deceased pio- of these Apostles, namely the Churches of reminder of the intolerance and intimidation neer presidents, Cardinals Augustino Bea Rome and Constantinople, are obliged once by certain individuals and groups that pers- and Johannes Willebrands, assisted by such more to regain this bond of communion in ist on the islands. specialists in the history and life of the Or- order to prove ourselves worthy successors The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Af- thodox Churches as the late Bishop Pierre of their deposit. fairs quickly condemned the desecration in Duprey and Mgr Eleuterio Fortino, rela- In the gospel reading proclaimed dur- a statement issued on October 31st, stating tions among our Churches were cultivated ing today’s Divine Liturgy, we heard that "we regret that many grave-stones in a still further through mutual respect and Andrew personally encountered Christ and cemetery belonging to our Greek Orthodox brotherly love. The same relations were hastened to introduce Him to Peter as well. citizens in Imvros were damaged on the enriched with due care by the predecessors Philip does the same with Nathaniel, broa- night of October 28, 2010. We strongly of Your Eminence in the presidency of the dening in this way the circle of those in condemn it." The Ministry statement further Council, Cardinals Edward Cassidy and communion with Christ, until the apostolic noted the following, "Upon notification of Walter Kasper, supported by their capable message reaches all people.