St Andrew: the ecumenical agenda
November 30th marks the feast day of St Andrew, the first disciple, celebrated as
patron saint by the Ecumenical Patriarchate and many other Churches in both the East
and Western world. To mark the occasion each year, the Vatican sends a delegation
to celebrate with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew 1st at the headquarters
of the Orthodox Church in Fanar, Istanbul, which Pope Benedict himself visited on
November 30th 2006. In a message sent to Patriarch Bartholomew, the Pope says “in a world characterised by increasing interdependence and solidarity, we are called to proclaim the truth of the Gospel with renewed conviction, and to present the risen Lord as the response to the most profound spiritual questions and aspirations of men and women today.”
In order to do this, the Pope adds, “we must continue along the path towards full communion, showing that we have already united our strengths for a shared witness of the Gospel. For this reason I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Your Holiness and to the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the generous hospitality you offered to delegates of the European Episcopal Conferences who - on the island of Rhodes in October - met with representatives of the Orthodox Churches of Europe for the Catholic-Orthodox Forum on the theme: 'Relations between Church and State: theological and historical perspectives'". Pope Benedict concludes his message by assuring the patriarch of “the interest with which he follows "your wise efforts for the good of Orthodoxy and for the promotion of Christian values in many international contexts".
Leading the delegation this year are the president and secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Cardinal Kurt Koch and Bishop Brian Farrell, who will also be holding talks with their Orthodox counterparts on some of the most pressing issues on the ecumenical agenda. Philippa Hitchen spoke with Bishop Farrell, just ahead of his departure for Turkey, to find out more about this joint celebration and the common witness of the two Churches in that majority Muslim nation…..
Listen…..
“It’s the logical outcome of the great efforts that were being made in the 1970’s and ‘80’s to express the communion that already exists between the two Churches by celebrating the feast days of each other…..routine doesn’t mean that it’s less significant – on the contrary, it’s something that has stood the test of time..”
“We’ll be discussing how we will both institute the new ad hoc commission that will have to develop a new paper on the role of the Bishop of Rome in the first millennium. Also this year I would say the focal point of the visit will be a reflection on our shared or common witness ....especially here in Europe.”
“Andrew is the ‘first called’ of the disciples, it was he who then called Peter…Andrew, the brother of Peter, is as forceful symbol of the kind of embrace we would like to see between East and West.”
“The Holy See has always defended the Patriarch and his right to the title of Ecumenical Patriarch…..Of course, the purpose of our delegation is not to defend him but to celebrate the feast of the Patriarchate, but if it serves that purpose….and I think it has down the years…
Now I think for all minorities in Turkey there is the hope that a more satisfactory situation will develop as Turkey increasingly comes closer to the European set of principles.”
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