Vatican
City, 10 May 2013
(VIS) – The visit of Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch
of the See of St. Mark, “strengthens the bonds of friendship and
brotherhood that already exist between the See of Peter and the See
of Mark, heir to an inestimable heritage of martyrs, theologians,
holy monks, and faithful disciples of Christ, who have borne witness
to the Gospel from generation to generation, often in situations of
great adversity,” said Pope Francis on receiving the head of the
Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt this morning. The pontiff remarked on
the memorable meeting that took place, 40 years ago, between the
predecessors of both, Pope Paul VI and Pope Shenouda III, which
united them “in an embrace of peace and fraternity, after centuries
of mutual distance.”
The
Joint Declaration that was signed then by those two Popes represented
“a milestone on the ecumenical journey” and helped institute a
joint commission of theological dialogue between the two Churches,
which “has yielded good results and has prepared the ground for a
broader dialogue between the Catholic Church and the entire family of
Oriental Orthodox Churches, a dialogue that continues to bear fruit
to this day. In that solemn Declaration,” Francis emphasized, “our
Churches acknowledged that, in line with the apostolic traditions,
they profess “one faith in the One Triune God” and 'the divinity
of the Only-begotten Son of God ... perfect God with respect to his
divinity, perfect man with respect to his humanity'. They
acknowledged that divine life is given to us and nourished through
the seven sacraments and they recognized a mutual bond in their
common devotion to the Mother of God.”
The
Bishop of Rome expressed his joy at being able to recognize one
another as “united by one Baptism, of which our common prayer is a
special expression that looks forward to the day when, in fulfilment
of the Lord’s desire, we will be able to drink together from the
one cup.” Aware that the path to be traversed is still long, the
Holy Father noted some of its milestones, such as Pope Shenouda's
meeting in Cairo with Blessed John Paul II in February of 2000. John
Paul II, who was on pilgrimage to the places where our faith
originated, expressed his conviction that “—with the guidance of
the Holy Spirit—our persevering prayer, our dialogue and the will
to build communion day by day in mutual love will allow us to take
important further steps towards full unity.”
The
Pope also thanked the Patriarch for his care toward the Coptic
Catholic Church that has been expressed, among other things, in the
establishment of a “National Council of Christian Churches”. This
undertaking “represents an important sign of the will of all
believers in Christ to develop relations in daily life that are
increasingly fraternal and to put themselves at the service of the
whole of Egyptian society, of which they form an integral part. Let
me assure Your Holiness,” Pope Francis added, “that your efforts
to build communion among believers in Christ, and your lively
interest in the future of your country and the role of the Christian
communities within Egyptian society find a deep echo in the heart of
the Successor of Peter and of the entire Catholic community.”
“'If
one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honoured,
all rejoice together'. This is a law of Christian life, and in this
sense we can say that there is also an ecumenism of suffering: just
as the blood of the martyrs was a seed of strength and fertility for
the Church, so too the sharing of daily sufferings can become an
effective instrument of unity. This also applies, in a certain
sense, to the broader context of society and relations between
Christians and non-Christians: from shared suffering can blossom
forth—with God’s help—forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace.”
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