JOINT COMMUNIQUE OF THE POPE AND CATHOLICOS KAREKIN II

VATICAN CITY, NOV 10, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was a joint communique that was signed yesterday in the Vatican by His Holiness John Paul II, Bishop of Rome and His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians. Excerpts from the document are given below:

"Together we confess our faith in the Triune God and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, who became man for our salvation. We also believe in One, Catholic, Apostolic and Holy Church. ... We acknowledge furthermore that both the Catholic Church and the Armenian Church have true sacraments, above all ' by apostolic succession of bishops ' the priesthood and the Eucharist. We continue to pray for full and visible communion between us."

"The Catholic Church and the Armenian Church share a long history of mutual respect, considering their various theological, liturgical and canonical traditions as complementary, rather than conflicting. Today, too, we have much to receive from one another."

"As to the past, we thank God for the many blessings we have received from His infinite bounty. ... Many times, however, both the Catholic Church and the Armenian Church have lived through dark and difficult periods. ... For both of us, the 20th century was marked by extreme violence. The Armenian genocide, which began the century, was a prologue to horrors that would follow."

"We now look to the future with hope and confidence. ... We seek the intercession of ... all Saintly Pastors of the Catholic Church and the Armenian Church, and pray the Lord to guide our communities so that, with one voice, we may give witness to the Lord and proclaim the truth of salvation."

"Finally, we seek the intercession of the Holy Mother of God for the sake of peace. May the Lord grant wisdom to the leaders of nations, so that justice and peace may prevail throughout the world. In these days in particular, we pray for peace in the Middle East. May all the children of Abraham grow in mutual respect and find appropriate ways for living peacefully together in this sacred part of the world."

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