(15 Mar 08 - RV) Pope Benedict XVI this morning received Letters of Credence from
the new Ambassador to the Holy See from Greece, Miltiadis Hiskakis. Chris Altieri
reports...
Address of
Pope Benedict XVI to the Ambassador
Your Excellency,
It is a pleasure
for me to welcome you to the Vatican and to accept the letters by which you are appointed
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Hellenic Republic to the Holy
See. I am grateful for the courteous greeting which you have conveyed from His Excellency
Mr Karolos Papoulias, and I would ask that you assure him, the leaders of your country
and the people of Greece of my good wishes and prayers for their well-being and peace.
Recently,
several significant encounters have strengthened the bonds of goodwill between Greece
and the Holy See. In the wake of the Jubilee Year of 2000, my venerable predecessor
Pope John Paul II visited your country during his pilgrimage in the footsteps of Saint
Paul. This led to an exchange of visits from Orthodox and Catholic delegations to
and from Rome and Athens. In 2006, I was happy to receive your President here at
the Vatican, and I was graced by a visit from His Beatitude Christodoulos, whose recent
death Christians in your country and throughout the world continue to mourn. I pray
that the Lord will grant this devoted pastor rest from his labours and bless him for
his valiant efforts to mend the breach between Christians in the East and West. I
avail myself of this occasion to extend to the new Archbishop of Athens and All Greece,
His Beatitude Ieronymos, my sincere fraternal greetings of peace, together with an
assurance of my constant prayers for his fruitful ministry and good health.
Let
me also take this opportunity to reiterate my eagerness to work together as we travel
the road towards Christian unity. In this regard, Your Excellency has highlighted
the signs of hope emerging from the ecumenical meetings that have taken place over
the past decades. Not only have these reaffirmed what Catholics and Orthodox already
hold in common, but they have also opened the door to deeper discussions about the
precise meaning of the Church’s unity. Undoubtedly, honesty and trust will be required
from all parties if the important questions raised by this dialogue are to continue
to be addressed effectively. We take courage from the “new spirit” of friendship
that has characterized our conversations, inviting all participants to ongoing conversion
and prayer, which alone are able to ensure that Christians will one day attain the
unity for which Jesus prayed so fervently (cf. Jn 17:21).
The imminent Jubilee
dedicated to the bi-millennial anniversary of the birth of Saint Paul will be a particularly
auspicious occasion to intensify our ecumenical endeavours, for Paul was a man who
“left no stones unturned for unity and harmony among all Christians” (cf. Homily at
the Vespers celebration of the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, 28 June 2007).
This brilliant “Apostle to the Gentiles” dedicated his energies to preaching the wisdom
of the cross of Christ amidst the people of Greece, who were formed by the highly
sophisticated Hellenistic culture. Because Paul’s memory is forever planted in her
soil, Greece will play an important role in this celebration. I am confident that
the pilgrims who come to Greece in order to venerate the holy sites associated with
his life and teaching will be embraced with the warm spirit of hospitality for which
your nation is renowned
The vibrant exchange between Hellenistic culture and
Christianity allowed the former to be transformed by Christian teaching and the latter
to be enriched by Greek language and philosophy. This enabled Christians to communicate
the Gospel more coherently and persuasively throughout the world. Even today, visitors
to Athens can contemplate Paul’s words—now etched on the monument overlooking the
Areopagus—which he proclaimed to the learned citizens of the polis. He spoke of the
one God in whom “we live and move and have our being” (cf. Acts 17:16-34). Paul’s
powerful preaching of the mystery of Christ to the Corinthians, who highly esteemed
their philosophical heritage (cf. 1 Cor 2:5), opened their culture to the salutary
influence of the Word of God. His words still resound in the hearts of men and women
today. They can help our contemporaries to appreciate more deeply their human dignity,
and thus promote the good of the entire human family. It is my hope that the Pauline
Year will become a catalyst that will spark reflection upon the history of Europe
and stir its inhabitants to rediscover the inestimable treasure of values they have
inherited from the integral wisdom of Hellenistic culture and the Gospel.
Mr
Ambassador, I thank you for the assurance of your government’s resolve to address
administrative issues concerning the Catholic Church in your nation. Among these,
the question of its juridical status is of particular significance. The Catholic
faithful, though few in number, look forward to the favourable results of these deliberations.
Indeed, when religious leaders and civil authorities work together to formulate fair
legislation in regard to the life of local ecclesial communities, the spiritual welfare
of the faithful and the good of all society are enhanced.
In the international
arena, I commend Greece’s efforts to promote peace and reconciliation, especially
in the surrounding area of the Mediterranean basin. Her efforts to quell tensions
and dispel the clouds of suspicion which have long stood in the way of a fully harmonious
coexistence in the region will help to rekindle a spirit of goodwill between individuals
and nations.
Finally, Mr Ambassador, I cannot help but recall the devastation
caused by the wildfires that raged through Greece last summer. I continue to remember
in my prayers those who were affected by this disaster, and I invoke God’s grace and
strength upon all those involved in the process of rebuilding. As you assume your
responsibilities within the diplomatic community accredited to the Holy See, I offer
you my prayerful good wishes for the success of your mission and assure you that the
various offices of the Roman Curia will always be ready to assist you in your duties.
I cordially invoke upon you and all the beloved people of Greece the abundant blessings
of Almighty God.
Address of H.E. Mr. Miltiadis Hiskakis Ambassador
of Greece to the Holy See at the presentation of his credentials to His Holiness Pope
Benedict XVI
Your Holiness, I feel particularly honoured today to present
the letters accrediting me as the Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic to the Holy
See. I consider this a great privilege, but at the same time I am fully conscious
of the task lying ahead of me. Your Holiness,
Over the last years bilateral
relations between the Hellenic Republic and the Holy See have been constantly improving,
while the range of contacts both at state and Church level has contributed to fostering
a spirit of mutual understanding and respect. I have been instructed by my Government
to convey to You their political will to uphold and consolidate this positive climate,
as well as their unwavering resolve to address certain still pending administrative
issues that are inherited from the past, in the framework of the Constitution and
the Greek Law.
I would also like to express the deep appreciation of the Church
and the people of Greece for all Your sympathy and support at the loss of Archbishop
Christodoulos, of blessed memory, whose prelacy has marked a new era in the relations
of the Church of Greece with the Holy See. We are looking forward to the continuation
and expansion of the cooperation already underway, on the basis of the solid foundation
already laid and under the able guidance of His Beatitude Archbishop. of
Athens and All Greece, Ieronimos, taking also into consideration his ecumenical spirit
and his vivid belief in the quest for closer communion. It is also only opportune
to state at this point how much we cherish the ongoing dialogue between the Roman
Catholic Church and the Orthodox East and how we rejoice at the rekindled hopes that
the Ravenna meeting has evoked. We are aware that many obstacles need still to be
overcome, but under the courageous leadership of You, Holy Father, and His . Holiness,
the Oecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios, and with our Lord's providence, a day will
come that our Church shall celebrate as a whole again.
Your Holiness, Greece
is located in the southeastern part of Europe, in a region which is a mosaic of cultures,
languages and religions, including Orthodox Christianity, Catholicism, Islam and Judaism.
Our area is unfortunately still ridden with conflict, instability and risks. The precarious
security situation of the Balkan Peninsula and the persisting crisis in the Middle
East form ample proof to that. Moreover, the Cyprus issue, a longstanding problem
of foreign invasion and military occupation, remains unresolved. And it is my duty
to state here how much we value Your Holiness's clear position in favour of a just
solution to this long-standing problem. The sole sound answer to the open questions
of our wider area, as well as conflicts plaguing other parts of our planet, from Iraq
to Africa, is full observance of international law C, - ' ' and international legality,
abstention from force or the threat of use of force, and mutual respect, principles
consistently invoked by the Holy See, to which we solemnly subscribe and which form
the core of the Greek foreign policy. We also believe that much depends on the heart,
on the force of our values: respect of democracy, human rights, freedom of religion,
tolerance of ethnic, cultural and linguistic diversity. Attention to these common
principles form the very roadmap which determines the course of accession of aspirant
countries to the European family, which is shaped through its Christian values and
tradition of Greek Democracy and Roman Law.
Your Holiness, In the light
of the above, it is not perhaps surprising that Greece and the Holy See should be
so close on the international scene. And may I add that in the future as well you
should find my country a firm companion.
In concluding, I avail myself of this
opportunity to convey the heartfelt wishes of His Excellence the President of the
Hellenic Republic Mr Karolos Papoulias for the accomplishment of Your divine mission,
as well as the expression of the respect and esteem of the Government and the people
of Greece.