MEETING WITH PATRIARCH AND MEMBERS OF HOLY SYNOD

VATICAN CITY, NOV 8, 1999 (VIS) - At 5:30 this afternoon (2:30 p.m. Rome time), in Tbilisi's patriarchal palace, the Pope took part in a meeting with His Holiness Ilia II, Catholicos Patriarch of all Georgia, and 20 members of the Holy Synod.

After listening to the words of Patriarch Ilia II, the Pope indicated that "it is significant that this first visit of a Bishop of Rome to the Orthodox Church of Georgia is taking place on the eve of the Great Jubilee of the 2000th anniversary of the birth of the Son of God." He expressed his desire that the meeting and the kiss of peace exchanged with the Catholicos "be a grace-filled step towards a renewed fraternity between us, and towards a more truly shared witness to Jesus Christ and to the Gospel of eternal life."

"I wish to assure you of the Catholic Church's veneration and admiration for the Church of Georgia. Having its roots in the original Jerusalem community, the Church of Georgia is one of the earliest Christian communities."

The Pope gave thanks to God "for the results of the contacts which have taken place between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church in recent years, beginning with the historic meeting between the Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I and Pope Paul VI."

After referring to the establishment of the Joint International Committee between the two Churches, he said: "I am confident that the documents of the dialogue can serve as a basis for clarifying our relationship and for avoiding misunderstandings where Catholics and Orthodox live side by side. The work must continue, and whatever obstacles appear along the way can be patiently resolved in a spirit of brotherhood and sincere love of the truth."

The Holy Father concluded by saying that his daily prayer would be that "cooperation between our Churches will increase at every level, as an eloquent and necessary expression of the witness to the Gospel which Orthodox and Catholics are called to give. I assure you that my representative in Georgia will make every effort to foster this relationship of cooperation and understanding in a spirit of true Christian charity, free from misunderstanding and distrust, and marked by complete respect."

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