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Pope to mark act of reconciliation with Greek Orthodox by returning saints� relics to Ecumenical Patriarch

VATICAN CITY, Vatican, November 23 (CNA) - The relics of Saints Gregory Nazianzus and John Chrysostom, two of the eight Great Doctors of the Church, will be handed over to Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I by Pope John Paul II during an ecumenical celebration at 11 a.m. on Saturday, November 27, in St. Peter's Basilica.

In a statement, the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff explained that "the celebration will take place according to the structure of the Liturgy of the Word. and will include the following rituals:

the introduction and veneration of the relics; Bible and patristic readings with several excerpts from the two Doctors of the Church and troparion songs of the Byzantine liturgy; a moment of prayer consisting of the universal Prayer and the Lord's Prayer, the rite of turning over the relics with a text read by the Holy Father and thanksgiving by the Patriarch; concluding rites."

"The celebration is a sign of the desire of the Church of the West and of the East to walk together towards the gift of full unity so that the world will believe in Christ, the One Savior," reads the statement

The Orthodox community of Rome will take part in this celebration. The clergy, religious and faithful of the diocese of Rome are also invited.


Lord, May we be One Body as You are One with the Father and the Holy Spirit!

John

John, The EWTN News reported that the Holy Father would not be present for the ceremony of 'Returning the Relics' to the Patriarch because of his "frail condition"---are you or anyone aware of his condition being more frail than it has been in the past few years?

Let us pray for the Patriarch of the West, the Venerable JOHN PAUL II, Bishop of Rome, Servant of the Servants of God---that the Lord may allow him to remain among the faithful for as long as possible...and that his suffering will be lessened by God's mercy and the intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God!

By the mercy of God,
+Fr. Gregory

I have always hated the media's decade-long "papal death watch" obsession, but I do think our Holy Father is nearing the end of his earthly pilgrimage. Many people who have interacted with him lately (in the past year) says that he has good days and bad days, but the bad days are becoming more frequent.

The fact that he is going to miss this ceremony is huge, in my opinion. I can't imagine anything except serious ill health keeping him from something so close to his heart.

Blessed Theotokos, pray for our Holy Father!

Dear Fr. Gregory:

I think the Holy Father, because of his "frail condition," won't be able to ACCOMPANY the relics for their translation to Constantinople as he originally desired.

He is scheduled to participate in the pre-departure ceremonies this Saturday.

Certain clerics will accompany EP Bartholomew back to Turkey and also to pay a fraternal visit to the See of St. Andrew this time around.

Amado

Fr. Gregory:
My wife needed emergency dental surgery yesterday so I didn't get a chance to see your post I couldn't find any info about the Holy Father's "frail condition" as quoted by the Greek Church's Press Release printed below. We pray for him ever day and I know his hearts desire is to have the East and West come together. It's mine too! I have been attending a Western Orthodox Divine Liturgy on Sunday Mornings where I can Not receive Holy Communion and then driving 20 miles to a Ukrainian Byzantine Catholic Church so that I can receive. I love both Liturgies, but I don't understand Ukrainian so its hard to follow along and pray there.

John

GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA
8-10 East 79th St. New York, NY 10021
Tel: (212) 570-3530 Fax: (212) 774-0215
Web: http://www.goarch.org
Email: communications@goarch.org

For Immediate Release
November 22, 2004

Contact: Nikki Stephanopoulos
Tel.: 212.570.3530
Marissa P. Costidis
Tel.: 212.570.3588
C.: 732.522.1637

ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW TO RECEIVE RELICS OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
AND
ST. GREGORY THE THEOLOGIAN FROM POPE JOHN PAUL

New York, NY - Responding to the request of His All Holiness Ecumenical
Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of over 250 million Orthodox
Christians around the world, and recognizing the importance of St. John
Chrysostom and St. Gregory the Theologian to Orthodox Christians around the
world, Pope John Paul II has agreed to return the relics of these two great
Fathers of the Church and Ecumenical Teachers to their original resting
place in the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople. Ecumenical
Patriarch Bartholomew will travel to The Vatican to officially receive the
relics from the Pope in a ceremony on November 27, 2004 and accompany them
to the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Pope John Paul have both emphasized
reconciliation between the two churches, split since 1054. The return of
the relics is a step towards such reconciliation.

His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America will be in Rome for the
ceremonies of the handing over of the sacred relics of the two Saints and
Fathers of the Church. Also present there will be His Eminence Cardinal
Keeler of Baltimore whom Archbishop Demetrios invited in order for the two
of them to represent the faithful of the Orthodox Church and the Roman
Catholic Church in America in such an auspicious event for both Churches.

Accompanying His All Holiness when he returns the relics will be a
delegation including His Eminence Walter Cardinal Kasper, President of the
Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, and other Catholic hierarchs and
officials. Because of his frail condition the Pope will not be able to
attend. Upon their arrival, a Pan-Orthodox Ceremony will be held, and the
relics will be enshrined in the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. George.

The relics of St. John Chrysostom and St. Gregory the Theologian were taken
from Constantinople in 1204 by mercenary crusaders. They ended up in Rome
where they have been kept in St. Peter's Basilica.

Both Saints were famed preachers, theologians and predecessors of
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to the throne of Constantinople, St.
Gregory from 379 to 381 and St. John from 398 to 404. St. John Chrysostom,
meaning Golden Mouth, is considered by theologians to be the foremost
orator and preacher for the Orthodox Church. Orthodox Christians worldwide
follow his words as they participate in the Divine Liturgy of St. John
Chrysostom. St. Gregory, an intellectual, theologian and religious leader,
is known as the most eloquent voice in the Second Ecumenical Synod
(Constantinople, A.D.381), which completed the Nicene Creed as we know it
today.

I am still leery of this. If this Patriarchate ceases to have a Patriarch, given that the Turkish government is doing everything possible to do away with the office, what happens to the relics? Are they disappearing into a potential black hole? At least they were safe in the Vatican.

To all interested:

The ceremonies at St. Peter's Basilica will be broadcast live by EWTN TV starting at 5:00 a.m. and ending at 6:30 a.m., EST, this Saturday morning.

An encore presentation is slated from 3:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., EST, in the afternoon.

Amado

Dear Charles:

Hopefully, Turkey, which has been wooing the Vatican for support in the former's bid for EU membership, will remember this event: that the holy relics were in the safekeeping of the Vatican originally and were translated to the Phanar upon the request of the EP and that the holy relics belong to all Christendom.

Amado

(The Vatican remains non-committal for such a support, saying that Turkey should pursue its EU membership based on one of the agreed principles that all member-States must allow religious freedom within their respective borders.)

Dear All, Many of the relics of the Saints of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus which were long venerated were distroyed by the God-hating Communists (as many of you know)...the response of the faithful in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus was very interesting and showed great faith (I personally feel). The faithful never blamed the Communists, but rather always said the same thing: "These venerable relics were lost for us because of our sins!"---so, I believe, if the relics are ever 'lost' or 'taken' or 'destroyed' then it will be the sins of the Church of Constantinople that brings this about. Still in the end, I beleive that these relics are going home where they rightfully belong. May they find a safe home in the Patriarchate and may our sins not disturb them! Of course on the other hand, I suppose we could also wonder why these holy relics were lost to the Church of Constantinople in the first place...huh? Maybe that's why we haven't had them for all these years.

O Holy Saints of God...intercede before the Throne of God for our salvation!

In His Holy Name,
+Fr. Gregory

I wonder how many relics the Turks have destroyed? You might not have these relics either if Rome had not kept them safe. The problem is that there almost isn't a church in Constantinople anymore. If it shrinks anymore it will be history. I find all this sad. I would like nothing better than the re-Christianization of that entire area. Unfortunately, the Greeks are far too weak to take back the land that is rightfully theirs. I don't expect that to change in my lifetime, but it would be great if it did.

Are the relics of the two holy Fathers not in a position to be more frequently venerated by the Faithful in the Vatican than in the Phanar? Don't they deserve as much veneration as possible? Don't they deserve safekeeping from secular, quasi-Muslim governments which are hellbent on eradicating a Christian Patriarchate?

These are some questions that, I admit, do worry me about all of this.

I hope reunion happens in the near future, though! Pretty soon, the Catholic Church is going to run out of relics and icons with which to woo the Orthodox. :p

Logos Teen

NYDeacon,

Why do you attend a Western Orthodox parish for Mass? Is it an "Episcopalian" Western Orthodox parish (Liturgy of St. Tikhon, I guess) or a "TradLat" parish with a Liturgy of St. Gregory? If it's the latter, is there not a local Tridentine Indult Mass you could attend? Just wondering, not prying.

Logos Teen

I would guess that it is the whole principle of the matter. They were originally in the posession of the Holy Orthodox Church, so why shouldn't they be returned to It? I also believe that His Holiness John Paul II is doing it as a kind gesture, because he has been friendlier to the Orthodox Church than some other popes and there is no guarentee that his successor will continue with making such gestures towards the Orthodox Church.

That is how I look at it, anyways.

In Christ,
Aaron

LOL!!!

Woo us, huh? That is rich. :p

In Christ,
Aaron

I know, right?

Logos Teen