POPE IN CYPRUS – Meeting with the head of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus
(June 5, 2010) Pope Benedict XVI who is on a pastoral visit to Cyprus, June 4-6, on
Saturday met Archbishop Chrysostomos II, the head of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus.
The Orthodox Church of Cyprus is one of the 14 autocephalous (self-governing)
Churches of Eastern Orthodoxy that is not in communion with the Catholic Church under
the Pope of Rome. The history of this division can be traced back to 1054. The East–West
Schism, sometimes known as the Great Schism, divided Christianity into Eastern (Greek)
and Western (Latin) branches, which later became known as the Eastern Orthodox Church
and the Roman Catholic Church, respectively. The Great Schism resulted in mutual
excommunication. However, following the Second Vatican Council (1962-'65) in Rome,
relations between the two Churches began improving and resulted in the lifting of
the mutual excommunication in 1965. A major ecumenical move in this direction was
the establishment of The Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue Between
the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church in 1979 by Pope John Paul II and Patriarch
Dimitrios I of Constantinople. Pope Benedict XVI met Archbishop Chrysostomos
II at the Archbishop’s House in the Cypriot capital, Nicosia. Below is the text of
the Pope’s discourse:
Your Beatitude, Σε χαιρετώ με αδελφική αγάπη εν τω
Αναστημένω Κυρίω. Σε ευχαριστώ για την θερμή σου υποδοχή. (I greet you with fraternal
love in the Risen Christ and I thank you for your kind words of welcome.) I
recall with gratitude your visit to Rome three years ago, and I rejoice that today
we meet again in your beloved homeland. Through you, I greet the Holy Synod, and
all the priests, deacons, monks, nuns and lay faithful of the Church of Cyprus. Before
all else, I wish to express my gratitude for the hospitality which the Church of Cyprus
so generously offered to the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue
on the occasion of its meeting last year in Paphos. I am likewise grateful for the
support that the Church of Cyprus, through the clarity and openness of her contributions,
has always given to the work of the dialogue. May the Holy Spirit guide and confirm
this great ecclesial undertaking, which aims at restoring full and visible communion
between the Churches of East and West, a communion to be lived in fidelity to the
Gospel and the apostolic tradition, esteem for the legitimate traditions of East and
West, and openness to the diversity of gifts by which the Spirit builds up the Church
in unity, holiness and peace. This spirit of fraternity and communion also found
expression in the generous contribution which Your Beatitude sent in the name of the
Church of Cyprus for those suffering from last year’s earthquake in l’Aquila, near
Rome, whose needs are close to my heart. In that same spirit, I now join you in praying
that all the inhabitants of Cyprus, with God’s help, will find the wisdom and strength
needed to work together for a just settlement of issues remaining to be resolved,
to strive for peace and reconciliation, and to build for future generations a society
distinguished by respect for the rights of all, including the inalienable rights to
freedom of conscience and freedom of worship. Cyprus is traditionally considered
part of the Holy Land, and the situation of continuing conflict in the Middle East
must be a source of concern to all Christ’s followers. No one can remain indifferent
to the need to support in every way possible the Christians of that troubled region,
so that its ancient Churches can live in peace and flourish. The Christian communities
of Cyprus can find a most fruitful area for ecumenical cooperation in praying and
working together for peace, reconciliation and stability in the lands blessed by the
earthly presence of the Prince of Peace. With these sentiments, Your Beatitude,
I thank you once more for your fraternal welcome, and I assure you of my prayers for
you and for all the clergy and faithful of the Church of Cyprus. Η χαρά και η
ειρήνη του αναστημένου Χριστού ας είναι πάντοτε μαζί σου. (May the joy of the Risen
Lord be with you always.)