COMMON DECLARATION OF POPE
FRANCIS AND THE
ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH
BARTHOLOMEW I
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Apostolic Delegation (Jerusalem)
1.Like our venerable
predecessors Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras who
met here in Jerusalem fifty years ago, we too, Pope Francis and
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, were determined to meet in the Holy Land
“where our common Redeemer, Christ our Lord, lived, taught, died, rose again,
and ascended into Heaven, whence he sent the Holy Spirit on the infant Church”
(Common communiqué of Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras, published
after their meeting of 6 January 1964). Our meeting, another encounter
of the Bishops of the Churches of Rome and Constantinople founded respectively
by the two Brothers the Apostles Peter and Andrew, is a source of profound
spiritual joy for us. It presents a providential occasion to reflect on the
depth and the authenticity of our existing bonds, themselves the fruit of a
grace-filled journey on which the Lord has guided us since that blessed day of
fifty years ago.
2.Our fraternal encounter
today is a new and necessary step on the journey towards the unity to which
only the Holy Spirit can lead us, that of communion in legitimate diversity. We
call to mind with profound gratitude the steps that the Lord has already
enabled us to undertake. The embrace exchanged between Pope Paul
VI and Patriarch Athenagoras here in Jerusalem, after many centuries of
silence, paved the way for a momentous gesture, the removal from the memory and
from the midst of the Church of the acts of mutual excommunication in 1054. This was followed by an
exchange of visits between the respective Sees of Rome and Constantinople, by
regular correspondence and, later, by the decision announced by Pope John
Paul II and Patriarch Dimitrios, of blessed memory both, to initiate a
theological dialogue of truth between Catholics and Orthodox. Over these years, God, the
source of all peace and love, has taught us to regard one another as members of
the same Christian family, under one Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and to
love one another, so that we may confess our faith in the same Gospel of
Christ, as received by the Apostles and expressed and transmitted to us by the
Ecumenical Councils and the Church Fathers. While fully aware of not having
reached the goal of full communion, today we confirm our commitment to continue
walking together towards the unity for which Christ our Lord prayed to the
Father so “that all may be one” (Jn 17:21).
3.Well aware that unity is
manifested in love of God and love of neighbour, we look forward in eager
anticipation to the day in which we will finally partake together in the
Eucharistic banquet. As Christians, we are called to prepare to receive this
gift of Eucharistic communion, according to the teaching of Saint Irenaeus of
Lyon (Against Heresies, IV,18,5, PG 7,1028), through the confession of
the one faith, persevering prayer, inner conversion, renewal of life and
fraternal dialogue. By achieving this hoped for goal, we will manifest to the
world the love of God by which we are recognized as true disciples of Jesus
Christ (cf. Jn 13:35).
4.To this end, the theological
dialogue undertaken by the Joint International Commission offers a fundamental
contribution to the search for full communion among Catholics and Orthodox.
Throughout the subsequent times of Popes John Paul
II and Benedict the XVI, and Patriarch Dimitrios, the progress of our
theological encounters has been substantial. Today we express heartfelt
appreciation for the achievements to date, as well as for the current
endeavours. This is no mere theoretical exercise, but an exercise in truth and
love that demands an ever deeper knowledge of each other’s traditions in order to
understand them and to learn from them. Thus we affirm once again that the
theological dialogue does not seek a theological lowest common denominator on
which to reach a compromise, but is rather about deepening one’s grasp of the
whole truth that Christ has given to his Church, a truth that we never cease to
understand better as we follow the Holy Spirit’s promptings. Hence, we affirm
together that our faithfulness to the Lord demands fraternal encounter and true
dialogue. Such a common pursuit does not lead us away from the truth; rather,
through an exchange of gifts, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it will
lead us into all truth (cf. Jn 16:13).
5.Yet even as we make this
journey towards full communion we already have the duty to offer common witness
to the love of God for all people by working together in the service of
humanity, especially in defending the dignity of the human person at every
stage of life and the sanctity of family based on marriage, in promoting peace
and the common good, and in responding to the suffering that continues to
afflict our world. We acknowledge that hunger, poverty, illiteracy, the
inequitable distribution of resources must constantly be addressed. It is our
duty to seek to build together a just and humane society in which no-one feels
excluded or emarginated.
6.It is our profound
conviction that the future of the human family depends also on how we safeguard
– both prudently and compassionately, with justice and fairness – the gift of
creation that our Creator has entrusted to us. Therefore, we acknowledge in
repentance the wrongful mistreatment of our planet, which is tantamount to sin
before the eyes of God. We reaffirm our responsibility and obligation to foster
a sense of humility and moderation so that all may feel the need to respect
creation and to safeguard it with care. Together, we pledge our commitment to
raising awareness about the stewardship of creation; we appeal to all people of
goodwill to consider ways of living less wastefully and more frugally,
manifesting less greed and more generosity for the protection of God’s world
and the benefit of His people.
7.There is likewise an urgent
need for effective and committed cooperation of Christians in order to
safeguard everywhere the right to express publicly one’s faith and to be
treated fairly when promoting that which Christianity continues to offer to
contemporary society and culture. In this regard, we invite all Christians to
promote an authentic dialogue with Judaism, Islam and other religious traditions.
Indifference and mutual ignorance can only lead to mistrust and unfortunately
even conflict.
8.From this holy city of
Jerusalem, we express our shared profound concern for the situation of
Christians in the Middle East and for their right to remain full citizens of
their homelands. In trust we turn to the almighty and merciful God in a prayer
for peace in the Holy Land and in the Middle East in general. We especially
pray for the Churches in Egypt, Syria, and Iraq, which have suffered most grievously
due to recent events. We encourage all parties regardless of their religious
convictions to continue to work for reconciliation and for the just recognition
of peoples’ rights. We are persuaded that it is not arms, but dialogue, pardon
and reconciliation that are the only possible means to achieve peace.
9.In an historical context
marked by violence, indifference and egoism, many men and women today feel that
they have lost their bearings. It is precisely through our common witness to
the good news of the Gospel that we may be able to help the people of our time
to rediscover the way that leads to truth, justice and peace. United in our
intentions, and recalling the example, fifty years ago here in Jerusalem, of
Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras, we call upon all Christians, together
with believers of every religious tradition and all people of good will, to
recognize the urgency of the hour that compels us to seek the reconciliation
and unity of the human family, while fully respecting legitimate differences,
for the good of all humanity and of future generations.
10.In undertaking this shared
pilgrimage to the site where our one same Lord Jesus Christ was crucified,
buried and rose again, we humbly commend to the intercession of the Most Holy
and Ever Virgin Mary our future steps on the path towards the fullness of
unity, entrusting to God’s infinite love the entire human family. “ May the
Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon
you kindly and give you peace!” (Num 6:25-26).
Jerusalem, 25 May 2014