Pope Benedict in Cyprus – Farewell Speech Larnaca Airport
(06 Jun 10 – RV) Pope Benedict left Cyprus on Sunday with words of encouragement
for the people of the Island. Below the full text of his farewell speech at Larnaca
airport: Mr President, Distinguished Authorities, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The
time has now come for me to leave you, after my brief but fruitful Apostolic Journey
to Cyprus. Mr President, I thank you for your kind words and I am happy to express
my gratitude to you for all that you, your Government and the civil and military authorities
have done to make my visit such a memorable and successful one. As I depart your
shores, like many pilgrims before me I am reminded again of how the Mediterranean
is made up of a rich mosaic of peoples with their distinctive cultures and their beauty,
their warmth and their humanity. In spite of that reality, the Eastern Mediterranean
is at the same time no stranger to conflict and bloodshed, as we have tragically witnessed
in recent days. Let us all redouble our efforts to build a real and lasting peace
for all the peoples of the region. Together with that general objective, Cyprus
can play a particular role in promoting dialogue and cooperation. Striving patiently
for the peace of your own hearths and for the prosperity of your neighbours, you will
then be well placed to hear and understand all sides of many complex issues, and to
help peoples to come to a greater understanding of one another. The path that you
are taking, Mr President, is one which the international community looks to with great
interest and hope, and I note with satisfaction all the efforts that have been made
to favour peace for your people and for the whole island of Cyprus. As I give thanks
to God for these days which saw the first encounter of the Catholic community in Cyprus
with the Successor of Peter on their own soil, I also recall with gratitude my meetings
with other Christian leaders, in particular with His Beatitude Chrysostomos the Second,
whom I thank for their brotherly welcome. I hope that my visit here will be seen
as another step along the path that was opened up before us by the embrace in Jerusalem
of the late Patriarch Athenagoras and my venerable predecessor Pope Paul the Sixth.
Their first prophetic steps together show us the road that we too must tread. We
have a divine call to be brothers, walking side by side in the faith, humble before
almighty God, and with unbreakable bonds of affection for one another. As I invite
my fellow Christians to continue this journey, I would assure them that the Catholic
Church, with the Lord’s grace, will herself pursue the goal of perfect unity in charity
through an ever deepening appreciation of what Catholics and Orthodox hold dearest.
Let me also express again my sincere hope and prayer that, together, Christians
and Muslims will become a leaven for peace and reconciliation among Cypriots and serve
as an example to other countries. Finally, Mr President, let me encourage you
and your Government in your high responsibilities. As you well know, among your most
important tasks is that of assuring the peace and security of all Cypriots. Having
stayed these past nights in the Apostolic Nunciature, which happens to be in the United
Nations buffer zone, I have seen for myself something of the sad division of the island,
as well as learning of the loss of a significant part of a cultural heritage which
belongs to all humanity. I have also listened to Cypriots from the north who wish
to return in peace to their homes and places of worship, and I have been deeply moved
by their pleas. Surely truth and reconciliation, together with respect, are the surest
soundest foundation for the united and peaceful future of this island, and for the
stability and prosperity of all her people. Much good has been achieved in this regard
through substantive dialogue in recent years, though much remains to be done to overcome
divisions. Let me encourage you and your fellow citizens to work patiently and steadfastly
with your neighbours to build a better and more certain future for all your children.
As you do so, be assured of my prayers for the peace of all Cyprus.