LETTER TO NEW PATRIARCH OF ANTIOCH OF GREEK-MELKITES

VATICAN CITY, DEC 9, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was a Letter from John Paul II to His Beatitude Gregory III, canonically elected as patriarch of Antioch of Greek-Melkite Catholics in the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Greek-Melkite Catholic Church, which was held in Charfet, Lebanon on November 29, 2000.

In the Letter, written in French and dated December 5, the Pope wrote: "With my warm congratulations and the assurance of an entirely fraternal charity, I welcome with a full heart, venerable brother, your request for ecclesiastic communion, in conformation to the usage and desire of the entire Catholic Church. May the Lord assist you, Beatitude, throughout your new ministry, which I hope to be most fruitful, in union with our brothers in the episcopacy, the Fathers of the Patriarchal Synod!"

JPII-LETTER;PATRIARCH ANTIOCH;...;GREGORY III;VIS;20001211;Word: 150;