Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity N. 141 (2013/I) N. 145 (2015/I) TABLE OF CONTENTS POPE FRANCIS AND ECUMENISM (January-June 2015) Audiences with ecumenical delegations ...................................................................................................................................... 1 Messages of Pope Francis ............................................................................................................................................................. 7 Apostolic Journey of Pope Francis to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (6 June 2015) ................................................... 9 Pastoral Visit of Pope Francis to Turin (22 June 2015) ......................................................................................................... 10 Other statements by Pope Francis ............................................................................................................................................. 11 CELEBRATION IN ROME FOR THE WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY 2015 (18-25 January 2015) ...................... 14 COMMEMORATION OF THE MARTYRDOM OF ARMENIANS Greeting of Pope Francis before Mass in St Peter’s in commemoration of the martyrdom of Armenians (12 April 2015) ............................................................................................................................... 16 Message of Pope Francis on the proclamation of St Gregory of Narek as a Doctor of the Church (12 April 2015) .............................................................................................................................. 16 VISIT TO ROME OF HIS HOLINESS MOR IGNATIUS APHREM II, PATRIARCH OF ANTIOCH AND ALL THE EAST (17-20 June 2015) Address of Pope Francis (19 June 2015) .................................................................................................................................. 19 Address of His Holiness Mor Ignatius Aphrem II (19 June 2015) ...................................................................................... 20 ENCYCLICAL LETTER LAUDATO SI’ OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME The existential dimension of ecumenism – Comment by Metropolitan Ioannis (Zizioulas) of Pergamon ................... 22 FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE JOINT WORKING GROUP BETWEEN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES (23 June 2015) ......................................................................................................................... 25 VISIT TO ROME OF A DELEGATION FROM THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE FOR THE FEAST OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL (26–29 June 2015)................................................................................................................................. 47 ECUMENICAL NEWS International Reformed-Catholic Dialogue, Ghent, Belgium, (22-28 February 2015)....................................................... 49 Malines Conversations Group Meeting, Chestnut Hill (MA), USA (22-26 March 2015) ................................................. 49 Anglican–Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC III) Villa Palazzola, Province of Rome (28 April–4 May 2015) .................................................................................................................................................................. 50 Catholics and Disciples of Christ Commission for Dialogue, Bethany (WV), USA (19-24 June 2015) ......................... 51 COMMISSION FOR RELIGIOUS RELATIONS WITH THE JEWS ...................................................................................................... 53 DOCUMENTATION SUPPLEMENT Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Letter of the PCPCU’s Secretary ................................................................................................................................................ 56 Resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2016 ................................................................................................. 57 OFFICE: Via della Conciliazione 5 – 00193 Rome (Italy) Tel: +39–06–698 83568 (Editorial Office) Fax: +39–06–698 85365 – Email: [email protected] EDITOR Reverend Father Hyacinthe Destivelle, OP ADDRESS FOR ALL CORRESPONDENCE Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity VA – 00120 Vatican City Back copies: €7 (US$9) The material in this Information Service is not copyright, but we would appreciate a copy of any publication which includes extensive quotation from it. POPE FRANCIS AND ECUMENISM January – June 2015 AUDIENCES WITH ECUMENICAL gifts transform those who receive them, making them DELEGATIONS witnesses to the true life that is in him alone (cf. Jn 4:39). As the Gospel tells us, many Samaritans believed TO AN ECUMENICAL DELEGATION OF THE in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony. As you, LUTHERAN CHURCH OF FINLAND Bishop Vikstrom, have said, there is so much that Catholics and Lutherans can do together to bear 22 January 2015 witness to God’s mercy in our societies. A shared “A shared Christian witness is very much needed in the face of Christian witness is very much needed in the face of the mistrust, insecurity, persecution, pain and suffering the mistrust, insecurity, persecution, pain and suffering experienced so widely in today’s world”. Pope Francis said this experienced so widely in today’s world. on Thursday, 22 January, to an ecumenical delegation of the This common witness can be sustained and Lutheran Church of Finland, which came to Rome on an annual encouraged by progress in theological dialogue between pilgrimage on the Feast of their patron St Henrik, also the Churches. The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of coinciding with the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Here Justification, which was solemnly signed some fifteen below we publish the Pope’s text followed by the address of H.E. years ago between the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church, can produce further fruits of Björn Vikström, Bishop of Porvoo. reconciliation and cooperation between us. The Nordic ADDRESS OF POPE FRANCIS Lutheran–Catholic dialogue in Finland and Sweden, under the related theme Justification in the Life of the Dear Bishops, Dear Friends, Church, has been reflecting on important questions deriving from the Joint Declaration. Let us hope that It is with joy that I welcome you, on the occasion of further convergence will emerge from that dialogue on your annual ecumenical pilgrimage to Rome to the concept of the Church, the sign and instrument of celebrate the feast of Saint Henrik, the patron of your the salvation brought to us in Jesus Christ. country. This annual event has proven to be a truly It is my prayer that your visit to Rome will spiritual and ecumenical meeting between Catholics contribute to strengthening further the ecumenical and Lutherans, a tradition dating back thirty years. relations between Lutherans and Catholics in Finland, Saint Pope John Paul II addressed the which have been so positive for many years. May the members of the first Finnish ecumenical delegation Lord send upon us the Spirit of truth, to guide us which had come to Rome thirty years ago in these towards ever greater love and unity. words: “The fact that you come here together is itself a witness to the importance of efforts for unity. The fact ORE, 30 January 2015 that you pray together is a witness to our belief that only through the grace of God can that unity be ADDRESS OF BISHOP BJÖRN VIKSTRÖM achieved. The fact that you recite the Creed together is a witness to the one common faith of the whole of Your Holiness, and your Excellences and Eminences! Christianity”. At that time, the first important steps had already been taken on a common ecumenical journey It’s a great honor and joy for me to have been given towards full, visible unity of the Christians. In these this opportunity to bring You greetings from the intervening years much has been done and, I am Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, and from my certain, will continue to be done in Finland to make own diocese, the diocese of Porvoo. Porvoo is a small “the partial communion existing between Christians town in the south of Finland, who, mostly by grow toward full communion in truth and charity” coincidence, has given the name to the so called (John Paul II, Ut Unum Sint, 14). Porvoo-agreement between, among others, the Your visit comes within the Week of Prayer Scandinavian Lutheran churches and the Anglican for Christian Unity. This year our reflection is based on church. The Diocese of Porvoo is the diocese for the Christ’s words to the Samaritan woman at the well: Swedish speaking minority in the Evangelical Lutheran «Give me to drink» (Jn 4:1-42). We are reminded that church of Finland. the source of all grace is the Lord himself, and that his _____________________________ It has been a tradition for exactly 30 years that * Sources of the texts are designated as follows: OR: L’Osservatore Romano, the bishop of the Catholic diocese in Finland and one daily edition in Italian; ORE: L’Osservatore Romano, weekly edition in English. of the Lutheran bishops come here to Rome to If texts come from sources other than L’Osservatore Romano, this will be noted. When translation is undertaken by the Information Service it is celebrate together the memory of St Henrik, the patron indicated by the abbreviation: IS. saint of Finland. As we move closer to the commemoration of the 500 years of the Lutheran 1 reformation, it is more important than ever to Eminence Anba Bishoy, Co-President of the underscore our common