Intervention of Card. André VINGT-TROIS, Ordinary for the faithful of the Eastern
rite outside France without ordinaries of their own rite (FRANCE)
Card. André VINGT-TROIS, Archbishop of Paris, Ordinary for the faithful of the Eastern
rite outside France without ordinaries of their own rite, President of the Episcopal
Conference (FRANCE):
The experience of secular relations of the Catholic Church
in France with the Eastern Churches is characterized by several strong points: 1.
We were careful to maintain the most support possible to the Churches in their countries:
by implantation and the activities of many congregations for teaching and healthcare;
through associations supported by our Latin parishes, notably l’Oeuvre d’Orient; by
twinnings between dioceses or parishes. The large number of pilgrimages allow many
of our faithful to discover the Eastern Catholic communities and to tie lasting knots
with them. This support also occurs with our politicians so that they too may support
the Christians in the Middle East, avoiding, in particular, the risk of creating “confessional
territories” where types of ghettos would arise and in always keeping the door to
emigration open to those who can no longer continue to live in their countries. 2.
The presence of living Catholic communities in all the Middle Eastern countries to
ensure historical continuity in the same Holy Places. This also helps us in the experience
that most Western nations know today: the encounter with Islam. In many Middle Eastern
countries, Christians have lived in regions with a Muslim majority for the past centuries.
Thus they have acquired a wisdom from the manner of facing these situations. On the
other hand, cohabitation with a living Judaism, especially in Israel, can also contribute
to the evolution of relations between Jews and Christians. Finally, the co-existence
of separated Christian Churches in the places where our Church was born is a vigorous
stimulation to progress in the ecumenical action. 3. Many faithful, of the different
Eastern Churches, have migrated here. They could meet in the communities where they
find once more their own liturgy. We make an effort to help them develop the life
of their communities which favors at the same time their fidelity to the faith in
their Church and the memory of their cultural roots. They benefit from the active
solidarity of those that preceded them and simplify their professional, social and
cultural integration in French society. This integration is accompanied by fraternal
relations with the Latin communities of our countries. This for the Latin Catholics
is expanding their ecclesial and spiritual horizons. The discovery of Eastern liturgies
and communities that live this can certainly help the Latin parishes to recognize
a healthy pluralism in the expression of prayer. To conclude, I cannot avoid raising
the question of pastoral assistance in the Eastern communities. In our country, we
can see the firm rule by the Apostolic See: a priest from an Eastern Catholic Church
who is married cannot receive the pastoral mission in Latin territories. And, apart
from rare exceptions, we stick to this rule. The mobility of today’s society changes
the understanding of the notion of “territory” and I think I know that other European
countries are not subject to the same rule. Whatever happens, certain Patriarchal
Churches are faced with ever greater difficulties in finding celibate priests for
the service to their communities in “Latin” countries.