VATICAN CITY, JUL 8, 1999 (VIS) - The funeral of Patriarch Karekin I, Catholicos of all the Armenians, took place today in Etchmiadzin, Armenia, and was attended by a delegation from the Holy See led by Cardinal Edward Cassidy, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
Cardinal Cassidy was scheduled to visit Karekin I from July 1 to 3, bearing a Message from the Holy Father, but the patriarch died on June 29, following a long illness. Made public today was the Pope's Message, written in English and dated June 29.
In it he expressed his "spiritual closeness at this difficult time of ill health," and recalled the two visits that Karekin I had paid him in Rome.
The Holy Father also highlighted how "the Christian faith has shaped Armenian culture, just as Armenian culture has contributed to enriching the understanding of the Christian faith in new and unique ways. ... The Armenian Apostolic Church developed its own identity in a spirit of great openness to the different ecclesial traditions around it. ... (Its) present contribution to the ecumenical movement is part of a long tradition of openness and fraternal exchange."
John Paul II underscored the need to proceed on the path of dialogue in the search for Christian unity, writing that "the one condition necessary for union .... is the truth of faith in charity. May we come to rediscover one full communion precisely in the truth of faith in charity!"
"A crucial question on the path towards full communion concerns the ministry of the Bishop of Rome," wrote the Pope. "Since my election to the See of Peter, I have sought to exercise this ministry as an effective service to the communion of all the Churches. Inspired by the mission of Peter, I have striven to be the servant of unity, and I shall continue to do so."
He emphasized the importance of "concentrating efforts so that ... we may restore the fabric of the undivided Church. Where we cannot at the present time find a way forward, the future will surely show us new paths."
MESS;KAREKIN I;...;ARMENIA; CASSIDY;VIS;19990708;Word: 340;
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