In his traditional greetings to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on the occasion of the feast of Saint Andrew, Pope Francis calls for ongoing efforts and prayers for “the gift of unity” among Christians, remarking that their fraternity and witness can also serve as a model for today’s world “plagued by war and violence”.
By Lisa Zengarini
Following a long-standing tradition, on the occasion of today’s Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, patron saint of Constantinople, Pope Francis has sent a delegation to Istanbul to convey his greetings and the assurance of his “fraternal affection” to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I.
The visit is part of the annual exchange of Delegations between the Holy See and the Patriarchate for their respective patronal feasts, on 29 June in Rome, the Feast of St. Peter and Paul, and on 30 November in Istanbul.
In his message, Pope Francis highlighted listening without condemning as the primary path toward unity between Catholics and Orthodox Christians expressing his hope that the upcoming celebrations 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea may offer an opportunity to strengthen the fraternal relations they have developed over the past six decades.
60 years of fruitful dialogue
The Pope begins the message by remarking the significant progress of Catholic – Orthodox dialogue since the promulgation of the Decree ‘Unitatis Redintegratio’ in 1964 which marked the Catholic Church’s official entry into the ecumenical movement.
He notes that one of the first fruits obtained in this dialogue is their “renewed fraternity” they experience today “with particular intensity.”
The ultimate goal of full communion
While acknowledging that the full Eucharistic communion, envisioned by the Conciliar document has not been achieved yet, because “divisions dating back a millennium, cannot be resolved within a few decades”, the Pope stresses that Christians must not “lose sight of that ultimate goal”, nor can they “lose hope that this unity can be achieved in the course of history and within a reasonable time”.
A synodal approach to ecumenical dialogue
Pope Francis goes on to recall that the Catholic Church’s “irreversible commitment to the path of dialogue” was further affirmed by the recent Synod on synodality in which participants, despite their different backgrounds, were able “to listen to each other without judging or condemning”.
This approach , says the Pope, “should also be the manner in which Catholics and Orthodox continue their journey towards unity.”
Christian dialogue as a model for today’s divided world
Bringing his message to a close, Pope Francis states that the upcoming celebration of 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 2025 “will strengthen existing bonds and encourage all Churches to offer renewed testimony in today’s world.”
He highlights that the “fraternity lived and the witness given” by Christians will also serve as a model for a world “plagued by war and violence.” In this spirit, Pope Francis concludes by reaffirming his hopes for peace in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, and all regions experiencing what his has repatedly called “piecemeal world war.”
The Vatican delegation
The Vatican delegation was headed by Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity who delivered the Pope’s message to H.B Bartholomew , at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy held in the patriarchal church of St. George at the Phanar. The delegations also included two senior officials of the Dicastery—Secretary Monsignor Flavio Pace, Undersecretary Monsignor Andrea Palmieri, and Apostolic Nuncio to Turkey Archbishop Marek Solczyński.
