Tweet
SUMMARY OF APOSTOLIC TRIP TO TURKEY:
NOVEMBER 30 - DECEMBER 1
HEAL THE WOUNDS OF SEPARATION BETWEEN CHRISTIANS
VATICAN CITY, NOV 30, 2006 (VIS) - In Istanbul this evening, after visiting
the Museum of Santa Sophia, the Holy Father went to the Blue Mosque where he
and the Grand Mufti paused for a moment of meditation. The Pope then
travelled to the city's Armenian apostolic patriarchate where he
participated in a celebration of the Word in the Cathedral of the Mother of
God. The patriarchate of Istanbul is under the jurisdiction of the
Catholicos of all Armenia, Karekin II.
Upon his arrival, Pope Benedict was received by His Beatitude Mesrob II,
Armenian patriarch of Istanbul, with whom he entered the cathedral in
procession. After the ceremony and an address by Mesrob II, the Holy Father
addressed some brief remarks to those present.
"With great affection," said the Holy Father, "I greet the entire Armenian
apostolic community. ... My fraternal greeting goes also to His Holiness
Karekin II, Catholicos of Holy Etchmiadzin, and the hierarchy of the
Armenian Apostolic Church. I give thanks to God for the Christian faith and
witness of the Armenian people, transmitted from one generation to the next,
often in very tragic circumstances such as those experienced in the last
century.
"Our meeting," he added, "is more than a simple gesture of ecumenical
courtesy and friendship. It is a sign of our shared hope in God's promises
and our desire to see fulfilled the prayer that Jesus offered for His
disciples on the eve of His suffering and death: 'that they may all be one.'
... The tragic divisions which, over time, have arisen among Christ's
followers openly contradict the Lord's will, give scandal to the world and
damage that most holy cause, the preaching of the Gospel to every creature.
Precisely by the witness of their faith and love, Christians are called to
offer a radiant sign of hope and consolation to this world, so marked by
conflicts and tensions.
"We must continue therefore to do everything possible to heal the wounds
of separation and to hasten the work of rebuilding Christian unity," said
the Holy Father. "In this respect I can only offer heartfelt thanks to the
Lord for the deeper fraternal relationship that has developed between the
Armenian Apostolic Church and the Catholic Church."
In closing, the Pope quoted the words of one of the great Doctors of the
Armenian Church, Nerses of Lambron, who lived in the thirteenth century:
"'Now, since we all need peace with God, let its foundation be harmony among
the brethren.' ... These words of Nerses have lost nothing of their power.
Together let us continue to pray for the unity of all Christians."
Following the ceremony, a stone tablet in the form of an Armenian cross
was unveiled, bearing inscriptions in Latin and Armenian recalling the
visits to the cathedral by Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI.
CHURCH ASKS TO LIVE IN FREEDOM IN ORDER TO REVEAL CHRIST
VATICAN CITY, DEC 1, 2006 (VIS) - At 8.30 a.m. today, the Pope celebrated
Mass at Istanbul's Latin Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, in the presence of
faithful from various communities present in the city and from a number of
Catholic rites. Also present were Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of
Constantinople, Armenian Apostolic Patriarch Mesrob II, and Syro-Orthodox
Metropolitan Filuksinos Yusuf Cetin, as well as representatives from the
Protestant Churches.
The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit was inaugurated in 1846. Under the altar
are relics of certain saints, among them St. Linus, pope and martyr (67-69),
St. Peter's immediate successor. In 1884, Pope Leo XIII donated the
cathedral a relic of St. John Chrysostom. In May 1989, the cathedral was
affiliated to the Vatican Basilica.
In the courtyard of the building is a statue of Benedict XV (1914-1922),
erected by the Turks in memory of that Pope's commitment in favor of the
Turkish victims of World War One. An inscription on the statue reads: "To
the great pontiff of the world tragedy, Benedict XV, benefactor of peoples
without distinction of nationality or religion, in recognition."
In 1967, Pope Paul VI visited the cathedral in the company of Patriarch
Athenagoras, a gesture repeated by John Paul II, accompanied by Patriarch
Dimitros I, in 1979.
Before Mass, the Pope paused in the courtyard to bless a statue of Blessed
John XXIII which is to be placed in a local church. He also freed three
white doves.
Various languages were used during the Eucharistic celebration, including
Latin, Turkish, French, German, Syriac, Arabic and Spanish. The entrance
antiphon and the "Sanctus" were left to the Armenian Catholics; the
responsorial psalm and the offertory antiphon to the Chaldeans; the
proclamation of the Gospel to the Syro-Catholics.
"As Saint Paul has just reminded us," said Benedict XVI in his homily,
"the Spirit is the enduring source of our faith and unity. He awakens within
us true knowledge of Jesus and He puts on our lips the words of faith that
enable us to acknowledge the Lord."
"To manifest the Spirit, to live by the Spirit, is not to live for oneself
alone, but to let oneself be conformed to Christ Jesus by becoming, like
Him, the servant of his brothers and sisters. Here is a very concrete
teaching for each of us."
The Church, said the Pope, "has been charged to proclaim His Gospel to the
ends of the earth, transmitting to the men and women of our time the Good
News which not only illuminates but overturns their lives, even to the point
of conquering death itself. This Good News is not just a word, but a person,
Christ Himself, risen and alive!"
"The Church's mission is not to preserve power, or to gain wealth; her
mission is to offer Christ, to give a share in Christ's own life, man's most
precious good, which God Himself gives us in His Son."
"You know well," the Pope told his listeners, "that the Church wishes to
impose nothing on anyone, and that she merely asks to live in freedom, in
order to reveal the One whom she cannot hide, Christ Jesus. ... Be ever
receptive to the Spirit of Christ and so become attentive to those who
thirst for justice, peace, dignity and respect for themselves and for their
brothers and sisters."
"Together with the Virgin," he concluded, "let us pray to Christ her Son:
Send forth, O Lord, Your Holy Spirit upon the whole Church, that He may
dwell in each of her members and make them heralds of Your Gospel!"
Following Mass, the Pope expressed his appreciation for "the understanding
and patience," and for "the truly warm welcome I have been shown, also
because I know that my presence over these days has created no small
disturbance in the daily lives of people in this city."
At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Pope went by car to the airport of
Istanbul where he bid farewell to the ecumenical patriarch, the Armenian
apostolic patriarch and the Syro-Orthodox metropolitan. Before boarding the
plane bound for Rome, he met briefly with the governor of the local region
and the mayor of Istanbul.
NOVEMBER 30 - DECEMBER 1
HEAL THE WOUNDS OF SEPARATION BETWEEN CHRISTIANS
VATICAN CITY, NOV 30, 2006 (VIS) - In Istanbul this evening, after visiting
the Museum of Santa Sophia, the Holy Father went to the Blue Mosque where he
and the Grand Mufti paused for a moment of meditation. The Pope then
travelled to the city's Armenian apostolic patriarchate where he
participated in a celebration of the Word in the Cathedral of the Mother of
God. The patriarchate of Istanbul is under the jurisdiction of the
Catholicos of all Armenia, Karekin II.
Upon his arrival, Pope Benedict was received by His Beatitude Mesrob II,
Armenian patriarch of Istanbul, with whom he entered the cathedral in
procession. After the ceremony and an address by Mesrob II, the Holy Father
addressed some brief remarks to those present.
"With great affection," said the Holy Father, "I greet the entire Armenian
apostolic community. ... My fraternal greeting goes also to His Holiness
Karekin II, Catholicos of Holy Etchmiadzin, and the hierarchy of the
Armenian Apostolic Church. I give thanks to God for the Christian faith and
witness of the Armenian people, transmitted from one generation to the next,
often in very tragic circumstances such as those experienced in the last
century.
"Our meeting," he added, "is more than a simple gesture of ecumenical
courtesy and friendship. It is a sign of our shared hope in God's promises
and our desire to see fulfilled the prayer that Jesus offered for His
disciples on the eve of His suffering and death: 'that they may all be one.'
... The tragic divisions which, over time, have arisen among Christ's
followers openly contradict the Lord's will, give scandal to the world and
damage that most holy cause, the preaching of the Gospel to every creature.
Precisely by the witness of their faith and love, Christians are called to
offer a radiant sign of hope and consolation to this world, so marked by
conflicts and tensions.
"We must continue therefore to do everything possible to heal the wounds
of separation and to hasten the work of rebuilding Christian unity," said
the Holy Father. "In this respect I can only offer heartfelt thanks to the
Lord for the deeper fraternal relationship that has developed between the
Armenian Apostolic Church and the Catholic Church."
In closing, the Pope quoted the words of one of the great Doctors of the
Armenian Church, Nerses of Lambron, who lived in the thirteenth century:
"'Now, since we all need peace with God, let its foundation be harmony among
the brethren.' ... These words of Nerses have lost nothing of their power.
Together let us continue to pray for the unity of all Christians."
Following the ceremony, a stone tablet in the form of an Armenian cross
was unveiled, bearing inscriptions in Latin and Armenian recalling the
visits to the cathedral by Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI.
CHURCH ASKS TO LIVE IN FREEDOM IN ORDER TO REVEAL CHRIST
VATICAN CITY, DEC 1, 2006 (VIS) - At 8.30 a.m. today, the Pope celebrated
Mass at Istanbul's Latin Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, in the presence of
faithful from various communities present in the city and from a number of
Catholic rites. Also present were Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of
Constantinople, Armenian Apostolic Patriarch Mesrob II, and Syro-Orthodox
Metropolitan Filuksinos Yusuf Cetin, as well as representatives from the
Protestant Churches.
The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit was inaugurated in 1846. Under the altar
are relics of certain saints, among them St. Linus, pope and martyr (67-69),
St. Peter's immediate successor. In 1884, Pope Leo XIII donated the
cathedral a relic of St. John Chrysostom. In May 1989, the cathedral was
affiliated to the Vatican Basilica.
In the courtyard of the building is a statue of Benedict XV (1914-1922),
erected by the Turks in memory of that Pope's commitment in favor of the
Turkish victims of World War One. An inscription on the statue reads: "To
the great pontiff of the world tragedy, Benedict XV, benefactor of peoples
without distinction of nationality or religion, in recognition."
In 1967, Pope Paul VI visited the cathedral in the company of Patriarch
Athenagoras, a gesture repeated by John Paul II, accompanied by Patriarch
Dimitros I, in 1979.
Before Mass, the Pope paused in the courtyard to bless a statue of Blessed
John XXIII which is to be placed in a local church. He also freed three
white doves.
Various languages were used during the Eucharistic celebration, including
Latin, Turkish, French, German, Syriac, Arabic and Spanish. The entrance
antiphon and the "Sanctus" were left to the Armenian Catholics; the
responsorial psalm and the offertory antiphon to the Chaldeans; the
proclamation of the Gospel to the Syro-Catholics.
"As Saint Paul has just reminded us," said Benedict XVI in his homily,
"the Spirit is the enduring source of our faith and unity. He awakens within
us true knowledge of Jesus and He puts on our lips the words of faith that
enable us to acknowledge the Lord."
"To manifest the Spirit, to live by the Spirit, is not to live for oneself
alone, but to let oneself be conformed to Christ Jesus by becoming, like
Him, the servant of his brothers and sisters. Here is a very concrete
teaching for each of us."
The Church, said the Pope, "has been charged to proclaim His Gospel to the
ends of the earth, transmitting to the men and women of our time the Good
News which not only illuminates but overturns their lives, even to the point
of conquering death itself. This Good News is not just a word, but a person,
Christ Himself, risen and alive!"
"The Church's mission is not to preserve power, or to gain wealth; her
mission is to offer Christ, to give a share in Christ's own life, man's most
precious good, which God Himself gives us in His Son."
"You know well," the Pope told his listeners, "that the Church wishes to
impose nothing on anyone, and that she merely asks to live in freedom, in
order to reveal the One whom she cannot hide, Christ Jesus. ... Be ever
receptive to the Spirit of Christ and so become attentive to those who
thirst for justice, peace, dignity and respect for themselves and for their
brothers and sisters."
"Together with the Virgin," he concluded, "let us pray to Christ her Son:
Send forth, O Lord, Your Holy Spirit upon the whole Church, that He may
dwell in each of her members and make them heralds of Your Gospel!"
Following Mass, the Pope expressed his appreciation for "the understanding
and patience," and for "the truly warm welcome I have been shown, also
because I know that my presence over these days has created no small
disturbance in the daily lives of people in this city."
At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Pope went by car to the airport of
Istanbul where he bid farewell to the ecumenical patriarch, the Armenian
apostolic patriarch and the Syro-Orthodox metropolitan. Before boarding the
plane bound for Rome, he met briefly with the governor of the local region
and the mayor of Istanbul.