Dialogue, Pardon and reconciliation, only means to resolve conflict: Pope

Vatican City, 30 Nov 2013: Our joy in celebrating the feast of the Apostle Andrew must not make us turn our gaze from the dramatic situation of the many people who are suffering due to violence and war, hunger, poverty and grave natural disasters. Pope Francis made these remarks in his message to the Ecumenical Patriarch and Archbishop of Constantinople Bartholomaios I on the occasion of the feast of St. Andrew on Saturday.

I am aware that you are deeply concerned for the situation of Christians in the Middle East and for their right to remain in their homelands, continued the Pontiff, adding that dialogue, pardon and reconciliation are the only possible means to achieve the resolution of conflict. Let us be unceasing in our prayer to the all-powerful and merciful God for peace in this region, and let us continue to work for reconciliation and the just recognition of peoples’ rights.

Pope Francis expressed his spiritual closeness on the feast of Saint Andrew, Peter’s brother and the patron saint of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. ‘I take this opportunity to assure you of my intention to pursue fraternal relations between the Church of Rome and the Ecumenical Patriarchate’, said the Pope.

The memory of the martyrdom of the apostle Saint Andrew also makes us think of the many Christians of all the Churches and Ecclesial Communities who in many parts of the world experience discrimination and at times pay with their own blood the price of their profession of faith. We are presently marking the 1700^th anniversary of Constantine’s Edict, which put an end to religious persecution in the Roman Empire in both East and West, and opened new channels for the dissemination of the Gospel. There is an urgent need for effective and committed cooperation among Christians in order to safeguard everywhere the right to express publicly one’s faith and to be treated fairly.

Citing the historic encounter in Jerusalem between Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras about 50 years ago, Pope Francis said: God, the source of all peace and love, has taught us throughout these years to regard one another as members of the same family. For indeed we have one Lord and one Saviour. We belong to him through the gift of the good news of salvation transmitted by the apostles, through the one baptism in the name of the Holy Trinity, and through the holy ministry. United in Christ, therefore, we already experience the joy of authentic brothers in Christ, while yet fully aware of not having reached the goal of full communion.

This year’s Holy See’s delegation for the feast of St. Andrew, patron saint of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Istanbul, is led by Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Traditionally, exchange of delegations take place for their feasts of patron saints - 29 June in Rome for the celebration of Saints Peter and Paul, and on 30 November in Istanbul for the celebration of St. Andrew.

The Delegation of the Holy See took part in the solemn Divine Liturgy presided over by Bartholomew I in the patriarchal church of Fanar on Saturday, and had a meeting with the Patriarch and the Synodal Commission in charge of relations with the Catholic Church.Source: VR Sedoc