Pope voices concern for persecuted Christians

(January 28, 2011) Pope Benedict XVI on Friday voiced concern for Christians persecuted in various parts of the world and urged all followers of Christ to work together for peace and justice. "Many of you come from regions where Christian individuals and communities face trials and difficulties that are a cause of deep concern for us all,” the Pope told some 30 members of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches that held a meeting in Rome Jan 24 -28. Pope Benedict said, “All Christians need to work together in mutual acceptance and trust in order to serve the cause of peace and justice.” “May the intercession and example of the many martyrs and saints, who have given courageous witness to Christ in all our Churches, sustain and strengthen you and your Christian communities,” he added.
The Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches was set up in January 2003 as a shared initiative of the Authorities of the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. The commission’s Rome meeting discussed communion and communication that existed between the Churches until the mid-fifth century of Christian history, as well as the role played by monasticism in the life of the early Church.
The oneness of Christianity was ruptured at various times during the history of the Church, most notably in 1054 when it split into Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians, and then again in 1517 with Protestants separating from the Catholic Church. Pope Benedict expressed satisfaction over Catholic-Orthodox talks so far, saying “after almost fifteen hundred years of separation we still find agreement about the sacramental nature of the Church, about apostolic succession in priestly service and about the impelling need to bear witness to the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in the world.”