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Photo: Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I embrace.
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VATICAN CITY, 28 JUN 2008 (VIS) - In the Vatican at midday today, the Holy Father received His Holiness Bartholomew I, ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople, who has come to Rome to participate in the opening of the Pauline Year and in the celebration of Mass for the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.
In his remarks, Benedict XVI spoke of his happiness at learning that the patriarch had also called a Pauline Year to commemorate the 2000th anniversary of the birth of the Apostle of the Gentiles. "This happy coincidence", he said, "highlights the roots of our shared Christian vocation and the significant harmony of feelings and of pastoral commitment we are experiencing. For this I give thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ, Who guides our path to unity with the strength of His Spirit.
"St. Paul", the Pope added, "reminds us that full communion between all Christians has its foundation in 'one Lord, one faith, one Baptism'. ... To the Christians of Corinth, among whom discord had arisen, St. Paul did not hesitate to make a strong call for them all to remain in agreement, for there to be no divisions among them, and for them to unite in the same mind and purpose".
The Holy Father noted how in our world, with its "persistent divisions and conflicts, men and women feel a growing need for certainty and peace. However, at the same time, they remain lost, as if ensnared by a certain form of hedonist and relativist culture which throws doubt upon the very existence of truth. The Apostle's guidance in this matter is extremely helpful in encouraging efforts aimed at seeking full unity among Christians, which is so necessary in order to offer humankind of the third millennium an ever more resplendent witness of Christ, Way, Truth and Life. Only in Christ and in His Gospel can humanity find the answer to its deepest hopes".
"May the Pauline Year", he concluded, "help Christian people to renew their ecumenical commitment, and may there be an intensification of joint efforts on the journey to the full communion of all Christ's disciples. And as part of that journey, your presence here today is certainly an encouraging sign".
AC/PAULINE YEAR UNITY/BARTHOLOMEW IVIS 080630 (380)
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VATICAN CITY, 29 JUN 2008 (VIS) - At 9.30 a.m. today, Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles, Benedict XVI celebrated the Eucharist in the Vatican Basilica. Concelebrating with the Holy Father were 40 new metropolitan archbishops, upon whom he imposed the pallium. The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I was also present at the ceremony.
The Pope and Bartholomew I entered St. Peter's Square together, preceded by an Orthodox and a Latin deacon bearing the Gospel.
Following the reading of the Gospel in Latin and Greek the Holy Father presented the Ecumenical Patriarch to the assembly, after which each of them pronounced a homily.
In his homily Benedict XVI spoke of the two Apostles, patrons saints of Rome. "Through their martyrdom", he said, "through their faith and their love, the two Apostles show where true hope lies. They founded a new kind of city, one that must be formed ever and anew in the midst of the old human city which is threatened by the opposing forces of sin and human selfishness".
"We could say that their martyrdom was, in the deepest sense, like giving a fraternal embrace. They died for the one Christ and, in the witness for which they gave their lives, they became one single entity. In the New Testament we can, so to say, follow the development of that embrace, the creation of unity in witness and in the mission".
The Pope highlighted the fact that although Paul "usually went only to places in which the Gospel had not already been announced, Rome was an exception. There he found a Church the faith of which was the talk of the world. Going to Rome was part of the universality of his mission as an envoy to all peoples, ... it was an expression of the catholicity of his mission. Rome must make the faith visible to the whole world, it must be a place of encounter in the one faith".
Turning to consider Peter, the Holy Father recalled how "he left the presidency of the Christian-Judaic Church to James the Less in order to dedicate himself to his true mission, the ministry for the unity of the one Church of God made up of Jews and pagans".
"The perpetual mission of Peter", he went on, is "to ensure the Church never becomes identified with a single nation, with a single culture or a single State. That she always remains the Church of everyone. That she unites humankind beyond all frontiers and, amidst the division of this world, brings God's peace, the reconciliatory power of His love".
Addressing the archbishops who were about to receive the pallium, the Holy Father told them that the gesture of imposing it upon their shoulders "reminds us of the shepherd who takes the lost sheep across his back, the sheep that cannot find its way home, and brings it back to the fold. In this sheep the Fathers of the Church saw the image of the entire human race, of all human nature, which is lost and no longer knows the way home"; and the Pastor that brings it home "is the eternal Word of God Himself". Yet nonetheless, God "also wants men 'to carry' alongside Him. Being a pastor of the Church of Christ means sharing in this task".
In this way, he said, "the pallium becomes a symbol of our love for Christ the Shepherd, and of our loving together with Him. ... It becomes a symbol of the call 'to love them all' with the power of Christ ... that they might find Him and, in Him, themselves".
Benedict XVI concluded his homily by expressing the view that the pallium "speaks to us of the catholicity of the Church, of the universal communion of Pastor and flock, just as it is a reference to apostolicity, to communion with the faith of the Apostles upon which the Church is founded".
At the end of the Mass and before praying the Angelus, the Holy Father pointed out that since this year the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul falls on a Sunday, "the entire Church, and not just the Church of Rome, celebrates it solemnly".
"Of course", said the Pope referring to the Pauline Year which he officially inaugurated yesterday, "its focal point will be Rome, in particular the basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls and the place of the saint's martyrdom at the Three Fountains. But it will involve the entire Church, beginning with Tarsus where Paul was born, and the other Pauline sites ... in what is now Turkey, as well as the Holy Land and the island of Malta where the Apostle arrived after having been shipwrecked and sowed the fertile seed of the Gospel.
"The truth is", he added, "that the horizon of the Pauline year cannot but be universal, because St. Paul was, par excellence, the Apostle to those who were 'far off' from the Jews and who 'by the blood of Christ' were 'brought near'. Hence, even today, in a world that has become 'smaller' but where many have still not met the Lord Jesus, the Jubilee of St. Paul invites all Christians to become missionaries of the Gospel".
"As the liturgy says, the charisms of the two great Apostles are complementary in the edification of the one People of God, and Christians cannot render valid witness of Christ if they are not united among themselves".
Benedict XVI concluded by inviting everyone to pray "for these great intentions: the Pauline Year, evangelisation, communion in the Church and full unity among all Christians, entrusting them to the celestial intercession of Most Holy Mary Mother of the Church and Queen of the Apostles".
HML/STS PETER PAUL/BARTHOLOMEW IVIS 080630 (960)
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Warsaw, Jun. 26, 2008 (CWNews.com) - Ukrainian Orthodox leaders in Poland have reached an agreement with the Eastern-rite Ukrainian Catholic Church on the ownership of 20 churches that were seized from the Byzantine Catholics by the former Communist government and handed over to Orthodox control.
Several of the churches will reportedly be restored to the Ukrainian Catholic community. One building will be shared by the two religious communities.
The Polish government has agreed to help finance the construction of new church buildings to replace those that will not be restored to the former Catholic owners, and those that will be ceded by the Orthodox to their former owners.
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Following the visit Archbishop Demetrios said: “In the life and history of our Orthodox Church there have been at times examples of phenomena that can not be ascribed to natural causes. The Saints of our Church lead us with their example to the path of God and are asking for us the grace and blessing of God. St. Nicholas in particular is a saint who is a protector and healer and we are certain – as we venerate his holy icon – that he intercedes on our behalf to the benevolent Almighty God.”
GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA
8-10 East 79th St. New York, NY 10075-0106
Web: http://www.goarch.org
Email:
Contact: Stavros H. Papagermanos
Tel.: 212.570.3556 – Fax: 212.774.0237
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Independence Day
Protocol 50/08
To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America
Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The annual observance of Independence Day is an instance for us to be thankful for the peace, freedom and opportunities we have in this nation, the United States of America. It is a day when we celebrate ideals that have been realized for the benefit of humankind, when we remember what so many have offered for the sake of liberty, and when we recommit ourselves to the cause of freedom and to building a society that upholds all that is good and just.
To do this requires knowledge of the past, an awareness and careful analysis of how the past has shaped the present, and how it contributes to our future. This is the example provided to us by many of the founders of this nation. Looking to antiquity, they valued the ideals of personal freedom and self-governance, as well as the virtues of bravery, patriotism, fortitude, and perseverance. They knew the veracity of these ideals, and they saw this nation as the modern heir of the ancient republics.
In the debates over the United States Constitution, frequent references were made to ancient authorities, such as Aristotle, Cicero, and Polybius, and to their analysis, concerns, and critiques of governance. Questions were asked about successes and failures in upholding unity, freedom, rights, and security. Could a “more perfect union” be formed that would established a balanced relationship between states and the national government? In establishing a new nation, they knew the great ideals, accomplishments, and failures of the past; they engaged in careful analysis and debate over the nature and function of government; and they did this with an optimistic view of the future, knowing that this new government was for a growing nation that would face many challenges.
As citizens of this nation and as Orthodox Christians, we are able to offer something very unique to understanding the past, to the challenges of the present, and to preparing ourselves for the future. As people of faith, our past is intertwined with the revelation of God’s love for humankind, and our future will culminate in blessed communion with Him for all eternity. Because of this, we know that our faith is essential to affirming and upholding ideals that are good and true for all human beings.
We also affirm the necessity of discernment as we address the needs and challenges of our world. Through prayer, through fellowship and ministry with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and through spiritual growth, we gain a deeper understanding of the genuine needs around us and of how to address these in ways that promote life, strengthen the person, and build relationships. Further, we draw upon the wisdom offered to us by God through Holy Scripture, the Church, and the lives and witness of the Saints. We have a great treasure of divine truth that not only spans millennia of human existence, but that also addresses the greatest challenges, needs, and potential of life and relationship.
Finally, we know by faith that all that is good and true will be affirmed and accomplished through love. The greatest sacrifice for our ultimate freedom which is freedom from sin and death was made by our Lord Jesus Christ through love. When we look to the past, we find truth and hope in the One who has shown us abundant love and offers unlimited life. We find assurance in knowing that He continues to be in our midst today and forever.
As we celebrate Independence Day, let us be mindful of the relevance and necessity of faith in what we learn and cherish from the past and what we must choose for the future. Let us be thankful for a free society in which we can speak the truth in love. We have a beautiful and life-giving witness to offer to all in our nation and throughout the world, the witness of a faith that brings peace to the soul, truth and understanding to the mind, life to our hearts, and true and enduring freedom to our lives.
With paternal love in Christ,
+DEMETRIOS
Archbishop of America
GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA
8-10 East 79th St. New York, NY 10075-0106
Tel: (212) 570-3530 Fax: (212) 774-0215
Web: http://www.goarch.org
Email:
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Posted to the web 24 June 2008
Cairo
Fire has destroyed a Coptic Catholic church in the Egyptian town of Kafr el Sheij, just three weeks after another church was burned in the country because of conflicts between Christians and Muslims.
The Catholic bishops in Egypt called on the government to provide greater security for Christians. According to the newspaper Al Ahram, the blaze last week required emergency response from eight fire trucks in order to put it out.
The latest fire came a few weeks after conflicts between Christians and Muslims, including an attack on a Christian-run jewellery store, resulted in the death of the owner and the wounding of four others.
The Vatican daily "L'Osservatore Romano" said Muslim groups accuse the Catholic Church in Egypt of seeking "to form a parallel state with the help of foreign subjects" in order "to change the Muslim-Arab nature of the nation."
Chaldean Catholic Bishop Youseff Ibrahim Sarraf of Cairo said there was no religious motivation behind the violence against Coptic Christians but rather, that the violence was the result of "ordinary criminal activity."
Even though Muslims extremists have been reportedly increasing their influence in Egypt in recent years, Bishop Sarraf called relations between Christians and Muslims "cordial" and said the government is trying to keep extremists from entering the country and fostering "dangerous internal conflicts." "We must also be vigilant," he added.
Coptic Catholics make up between 6 and 10 percent of the Egyptian population, which numbers 80 million.
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