VATICAN CITY, JUL 20, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was the Apostolic Letter of the Holy Father John Paul II for the Third Centenary of the Union of the Greek-Catholic Church of Romania with the Church of Rome. In the letter, dated May 7, 2000, the Pope also recalls his apostolic visit to that country from May 7 to 9, 1999.
He called the 1999 trip "a special gift from the Lord" and said he well remembers "the beauty of your land and the faith of the people who live there."
The letter focussed not only on the May 7 anniversary of the union of the Greek-Catholic Church of Romania with Rome, but of the need for the Church to fulfill her "duty to progressively realize unity with God and among men."
The Pope wrote of the vicissitudes of the Church in Romania over the millennia, from the third century when Latin Christianity was introduced, to the introduction of the Byzantine rite at the start of the eighth century to the period when Romania's Christians became Orthodox, the predominant religion today. A large number of adherents, however, asked for reunion with Rome, and this was achieved in 1700.
"The Romanians, in fact, being a Latin people, have been open to receiving the treasures of the Byzantine faith and culture. Despite the wounds of division, this legacy remains shared by the Greek-Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church of Romania. ... The hearts of the sons and daughters of this ancient Church have always beat strongly with passion for the unity willed by Christ."
He said that this passion was "lived in a singular way by the Romanian Church in Transylvania, especially after the tragic division between the Christianity of the East and that of the West" in 1054. And he recalled the efforts of those who tried to heal this wound, culminating in a movement which asked for, and obtained, full union with Rome, "officially decided upon on October 7, 1698 and solemnly ratified on May 7, 1700." He asked: "How can we not recognize the precious service rendered by the Greek-Catholic Church to the entire Romanian people of Transylvania."
John Paul II observed that "notwithstanding the numerous difficulties encountered, the Greek-Catholic Church of Romania ... has seemed to be ever more a singular witness to the unforeswearable value of ecclesial unity. But it was above all in the second half of the 20th century, at the time of communist totalitarianism, that your Church had to undergo a very hard trial, justly earning the title of 'the Church of confessors and martyrs'."
He urged the faithful not to be demoralized notwithstanding the difficulties the Church is encountering as it comes back from years of suppression and to undertake their journey "with faith that they can count on God's help."
In light of the persecutions undergone by the Church, Pope John Paul suggested an updating of its martyrology, "enacting the necessary measures to enrich the documentation about the events which transpired and to thus allow future generations to know their history." He underlined the persecutions undergone by the Orthodox Church and by other Churches and religious communities.
The Pope recognized that the Greek-Catholic Church of Romania was not able to fully participate in Vatican Council II, which "faced with major attention the delicate questions of the Oriental Catholic Churches, of ecumenism and of the Church in general." He also recognized that the Greek-Catholic Church of Romania was making "laborious efforts" to commit itself to the counciliar teachings as set forth in the Church's Magisterium and "to fully welcome the indications of the Holy See." The Pope stressed at length the special commitment made during Vatican Council II to the search for full unity among Christians.
"My immediate predecessors," John Paul II affirmed, "beginning with John XXIII of venerated memory, have multiplied efforts in favor of ecumenical reconciliation, in particular with the Orthodox Churches. ... Under the merciful glance of her Lord, the Church remembers her past, recognizes the errors of her children and confesses their lack of love for their brothers in Christ and, as a consequence, asks for pardon and pardons, seeking to re-establish full unity among Christians."
He wrote that "the attempt to search for full communion is inevitably conditioned by the historical context, by the political situation and by the dominant mentality of each era. ... The changed circumstances of the present call for a search for unity in a broader ecumenical horizon."
"As I encouraged the process of revision of the mode of exercising the petrine ministry within Christian ecumenism, except for those exigencies which come from the will of Christ, I thus urge an updating and a deeper study of the specific vocation of the Oriental Churches in communion with Rome in the new context, appealing for the study and reflection of all the Churches."
In concluding remarks, the Holy Father said that "an authentic return to liturgical and patristic traditions, a treasure you share with the Orthodox Church, will contribute to the reconciliation with other Churches present in Romania." He "warmly encouraged pursuing the dialogue between your Church and the Orthodox Church."
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