DELEGATION FROM SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH WELCOMED BY POPE

VATICAN CITY, FEB 6, 2003 (VIS) - A delegation from the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church was received this morning by the Holy Father, who expressed his "joy" at the meeting and said it not only was very "significant but also fills all of us with hope."

He recalled that the last decade of the 20th century "was marked by a number of painful events, which caused unspeakable sufferings for many populations of the Balkans. Unfortunately there were also many injustices and those who carried them out did not hesitate to exploit religious and patriotic sentiments and values in order to harm their neighbor even more."

The Pope underscored that "Churches did not fail in their duty to summon all interested parties to peace, to the re-establishment of justice and respect for the rights of each person, regardless of their ethnic background or religious belief. As is well known, the Holy See, without misinterpretations and with impartiality, often raised its voice, and I personally did not fail to do so before and during the actions that especially struck the populations of your country in 1999."

"Churches," John Paul II went on, "have the duty to act according to the model of the Good Samaritan. They must alleviate common sufferings, heal wounds and promote that purification of memories from which will come a sincere pardon and fraternal collaboration."

"Today," he pointed out, "Churches face new needs and challenges that come from an unstoppable transformation of the European continent. The Christian identity of Europe, molded at its roots by Eastern and Western traditions, currently seems to be placed in discussion."

"Lauding the Orthodox Church for "proclaiming the Good News with perseverance," the Pope urged both Catholics and Orthodox to give "a vivid and convincing witness of their common tradition" which will be efficacious in affirming "the Gospel values such as peace, human dignity, the defense of life and justice in society today" and "the consolidation of that fraternity that must mark ecclesial relations between Catholics and Orthodox."

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