HOLY FATHER WELCOMES PATRIARCH OF ANTIOCH OF THE SYRIANS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 8, 2001 (VIS) - This morning in the Hall of the Popes, John Paul II welcomed for the first time since his election to the patriarchal see of Antioch of the Syrians, His Beatitude Ignace Pierre VIII, who was accompanied by prelates and faithful of the Syro-Catholic Church. "Your presence," said the Pope, "makes me relive in my heart my recent pilgrimage in your country in the footsteps of St. Paul."

In his speech in French, he recalled the patriarch's immediate predecessors, Mar Ignace Antoine II Hayek who, now retired, led the church for 30 years, and Cardinal Mar Ignace Moussa I Daoud whom he appointed prefect of the Congregation for Oriental Churches.

The Holy Father spoke of his joy at being able "to share this great moment of fraternal communion by which is expressed the bond which unites the Syro-Catholic Church to the entire Catholic Church." "You are called," he added, "notably by your presence in different countries of the Middle East, to be like leaven which, even though unobtrusively, has nonetheless a fundamental role in making all the bread rise."

"I salute in particular," stated John Paul II, "the concern of Christians for the human, spiritual, moral and intellectual education of young people through a quality school and catechetical network. I hope very much that the role of the Church in forming young people will be more and more recognized by society, so that there will be transmitted to the younger generations, without discrimination, the basic values and elements which will make today's young people the leaders of tomorrow in their families and in society."

The Pope then noted that the faithful of the Syro-Catholic Church are "heirs of a history nourished by the theological thought of great schools" and "by the teachings of illustrious and holy Fathers. ... You have to ceaselessly follow their traces, developing theological and spiritual research proper to your tradition, which will affirm your ecclesial communities and favor contacts with your Orthodox brothers."

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