INTERVIEW OF THE DAY
 

Lombardi on Cyprus: Communion, dialogue and peace. According to Fr Lombardi, these were the three goals of Pope Benedict XVI’s three day voyage to Cyprus, and while communion and peace still seem unattainable, the path towards them it seems is one of dialogue: .

Before boarding the papal plane on his return to Rome, Fr Lombardi shared his final thoughts with journalists accompanying the Pope.
 
Communion. “The communion of the diverse Christian communities of the Middle East, whose Patriarchs. and bishops received from the Pope’s own hands the working document for the October Synod. For Catholics, a message of fellowship and encouragement, not to close in on themselves, but to become better witnesses by giving a more visible testimony of the wealth of the ancient Christian presence in the lands that saw the origins of our faith”.

Dialogue. The Pope’s encounter with the Orthodox further steps on a promising path, but one which sees the shared testimony of the Christian vision of man become increasingly necessary. The fundamental values of this shared vision, commented Lombardi, “are increasingly challenged and often radically contested”. Theological differences should not allows us forget that the aspects which unite us are more important than those which still divide.

Peace. Finally, the patient effort to announce peace, despite the situations and incidents that cause concern and discouragement. The religious and spiritual mission of the Pope continues, in the spirit of his journey last year in the Holy Land. The Gospel is the inexhaustible source of hope, capable of breaking down the walls of the deepest divisions.

Below the transcript of Fr Lombardi’s outline of the Cyprus trip:

“I think that great results can be seen in the ecumenical field. The exchanging of the sign of peace between the Pope and Chrysostomos during Mass this morning, it is the symbol of this encounter, which marks a further step on the long road of ecumenism. The Church in Cyprus maybe numerically small but it is very important in the ecumenical movement, especially in the Orthodox world and full of initiatives. It certainly felt encouraged and honoured by the presence of the Pope by the Pope’s attention with this specific visit, in its very dignity of Church that goes in search of unity, yet faithful to its roots, for this Church is very old and dates back to Barnabas and Paul and their first apostolic journey. So, this meeting with the Orthodox Church is certainly positive. The objections which have been spoken about at length remained quite marginal, I would say insignificant in the overall scheme of things. Then it was certainly a very historic event for the Catholic community in Cyprus, in its various components, with very beautiful and moving moments: the meeting at the Maronite school, a time of celebration and song, the Mass in Church of the Holy Cross and then this morning the great Mass in which 8,500 people received communion, which means that there were at least 10 thousand Catholics present, who are a substantial part, most, one can safely say, of the Catholics present on the 'island. Certainly they have never before been able to experience a moment of unity and enthusiasm, mutual support in faith, like this morning, which they even had the presence of the universal shepherd to encourage them, to call them to live in communion. Among other things, the Pope noted that it is the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, the feast of the Eucharist which manifests the communion, that builds communion of the Church.

“And from the standpoint of the people of Cyprus in general, and also of its authorities, the trip was very rich and meaningful. The authorities, both political and religious, have very strongly indicated their expectations, their problems, relating to the situation of division of the island, the risk of the loss of the Christian cultural heritage and so on. They did so very clearly, taking advantage of the opportunity of having such an important guest. The Pope, for his part, spoke with great balance and clarity, supporting those fundamental principles of coexistence: the rights of the human person and the right to return to one’s original home, being in communication with those who caused them to leave, the right to religious freedom, freedom of conscience, freedom of worship. Here, very quietly, the Pope demonstrated his sensitivity to these issues and also the ways in which they can be overcome, for example in his appeals for peace in the Middle East region. At the conclusion of the Mass there was a very explicit appeal for peace in the Middle East and the involvement of everyone in this direction. Among other things, the Pope’s visit, and having chosen Cyprus for the launch of the Synod for the Middle East, gave great dignity to the island itself as a crossroads, a meeting point, a place where all the different countries of the Middle East can gather. Therefore, the dignity, the historical, cultural and religious importance of this island has been established by the Pope and the Catholic Church in a very clear way, by undertaking this trip”.