![]() 10) They call on Europe to remain faithful to her Christian roots 9) They are concerned about threats to religious freedom throughout the worldĮ are concerned about the situation in many countries in which Christians are increasingly confronted by restrictions to religious freedom, to the right to witness to one’s convictions and to live in conformity with them. No crime may be committed in God’s name, “since God is not the God of disorder but of peace” (1 Cor 14:33). 8) Criminal acts in the name of God are “unacceptable”Īttempts to justify criminal acts with religious slogans are altogether unacceptable. We believe that these martyrs of our times, who belong to various Churches but who are united by their shared suffering, are a pledge of the unity of Christians. We bow before the martyrdom of those who, at the cost of their own lives, have given witness to the truth of the Gospel, preferring death to the denial of Christ. 7) They honor the sacrifice of Christian martyrs We exhort all Christians and all believers of God to pray fervently to the providential Creator of the world to protect His creation from destruction and not permit a new world war. 6) They call on Christians to pray there won’t be a World War III We call upon the international community to act urgently in order to prevent the further expulsion of Christians from the Middle East. It is with pain that we call to mind the situation in Syria, Iraq and other countries of the Middle East, and the massive exodus of Christians from the land in which our faith was first disseminated and in which they have lived since the time of the Apostles, together with other religious communities. Their churches are being barbarously ravaged and looted, their sacred objects profaned, their monuments destroyed. In many countries of the Middle East and North Africa whole families, villages and cities of our brothers and sisters in Christ are being completely exterminated. In a world which yearns not only for our words but also for tangible gestures, may this meeting be a sign of hope for all people of goodwill! 5) They call on international community to stop persecution of Christians in the Middle East May our meeting inspire Christians throughout the world to pray to the Lord with renewed fervour for the full unity of all His disciples. Mindful of the permanence of many obstacles, it is our hope that our meeting may contribute to the re–establishment of this unity willed by God, for which Christ prayed. ![]() 4) They hope their meeting will inspire others to continue working for unity We are pained by the loss of unity, the outcome of human weakness and of sin, which has occurred despite the priestly prayer of Christ the Saviour: “So that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you … so that they may be one, as we are one” (Jn 17:21). 2) They met “far from the longstanding disputes of the “Old World””īy meeting far from the longstanding disputes of the “Old World”, we experience with a particular sense of urgency the need for the shared labour of Catholics and Orthodox, who are called, with gentleness and respect, to give an explanation to the world of the hope in us (cf. It is with joy that we have met like brothers in the Christian faith who encounter one another “to speak face to face” (2 Jn 12), from heart to heart, to discuss the mutual relations between the Churches, the crucial problems of our faithful, and the outlook for the progress of human civilization. You can read the full text here.īelow are 14 key points: 1) They met “like brothers in the Christian faith” Pope Francis and Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow met today in Cuba, the first time a Catholic pontiff and Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow had met in person since the Great East-West Schism in the 11th century.Īs a part of their meeting, they signed a joint declaration.
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