POPE WELCOMES PATRIARCH OF GREEK-MELKITE CATHOLICS

VATICAN CITY, FEB 12, 2001 (VIS) - John Paul II this morning welcomed His Beatitude Gregory III, patriarch of Antioch of the Greek-Melkite Catholics, "who has come to celebrate our full ecclesial union." Joining the patriarch was a pilgrimage group of nearly 700 persons, including bishops, priests, religious and lay faithful.

"Union with the See of Rome," said the Pope, speaking French, "does not lessen your specificity or the treasures that are yours, but rather it strengthens them and makes of them a precious gift which enriches all of the Catholic world. The Pope appreciates your attachment and your fidelity to the traditions of the Christian Orient."

"You are a strong Church," he went on, "coherent and rooted in your identity: take care to pursue your pastoral commitment, making use of ancient treasures and giving suitable answers to the questions posed by man today." The Holy Father also expressed appreciation for their ecumenical commitment, encouraging them to "actively seek unity, with a prudent courage, in union with the entire Catholic Church, so that the time of full communion will rapidly arrive."

Addressing His Beatitude Gregory III, the Pope expressed his "fraternal best wishes" and said: "May you be a model for the people entrusted to you, following the example of the Good Shepherd."

"In the tormented context of the Middle East," he declared, "be at the same time an ardent defender of the weak and a tireless artisan of peace. Always keep a special place in your heart for your children of the diaspora. ... Go to everyone, not with the power and wealth of men, but only with the defenseless love of the poverty of Christ who, though rich, became poor to enrich all men."

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