‘How do we welcome the tenderness of God?’ Pope Francis’ Christmas Eve homily

Pope Francis delivered the following Christmas Eve homily at the Vatican:

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined” (Isaiah 9:1). “ An angel of the Lord appeared to (the shepherds) and the glory of the Lord shone around them” (Luke 2:9). This is how the liturgy of this holy Christmas night presents to us the birth of the Savior: As the light which pierces and dispels the deepest darkness. The presence of the Lord in the midst of his people cancels the sorrow of defeat and the misery of slavery, and ushers in joy and happiness.

We too, in this blessed night, have come to the house of God. We have passed through the darkness which envelops the earth, guided by the flame of faith which illuminates our steps, and enlivened by the hope of finding the “great light.. By opening our hearts, we also can contemplate the miracle of that child-sun who, arising from on high, illuminates the horizon.

The origin of the darkness which envelops the world is lost in the night of the ages. Let us think back to that dark moment when the first crime of humanity was committed, when the hand of Cain, blinded by envy, killed his brother Abel (cf. Gen 4:8). As a result, the unfolding of the centuries has been marked by violence, wars, hatred and oppression. But God, who placed a sense of expectation within man made in his image and likeness, was waiting. He waited for so long that perhaps at a certain point it seemed he should have given up. But he could not give up because he could not deny himself ( 2 Timothy 2:13). Therefore he continued to wait patiently in the face of the corruption of man and peoples.

Through the course of history, the light that shatters the darkness reveals to us that God is Father and that his patient fidelity is stronger than darkness and corruption. This is the message of Christmas night. God does not know outbursts of anger or impatience; He is always there, like the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, waiting to catch from afar a glimpse of the lost son as he returns.

Isaiah’s prophecy announces the rising of a great light which breaks through the night. This light is born in Bethlehem and is welcomed by the loving arms of Mary, by the love of Joseph, by the wonder of the shepherds. When the angels announced the birth of the Redeemer to the shepherds, they did so with these words: “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12). The “sign” is the humility of God taken to the extreme; it is the love with which, that night, He assumed our frailty, our suffering, our anxieties, our desires and our limitations. The message that everyone was expecting, that everyone was searching for in the depths of their souls, was none other than the tenderness of God: God who looks upon us with eyes full of love, who accepts our poverty; God who is in love with our smallness.

On this holy night, while we contemplate the Infant Jesus just born and placed in the manger, we are invited to reflect. How do we welcome the tenderness of God? Do I allow myself to be taken up by God, to be embraced by him, or do I prevent him from drawing close? “But I am searching for the Lord” – we could respond. Nevertheless, what is most important is not seeking Him, but rather allowing Him to find me and caress me with tenderness. The question put to us simply by the Infant’s presence is: do I allow God to love me?

More so, do we have the courage to welcome with tenderness the difficulties and problems of those who are near to us, or do we prefer impersonal solutions, perhaps effective but devoid of the warmth of the Gospel? How much the world needs tenderness today!

The Christian response cannot be different from God’s response to our smallness. Life must be met with goodness, with meekness. When we realize that God is in love with our smallness, that he made himself small in order to better encounter us, we cannot help but open our hearts to him, and beseech him: “Lord, help me to be like you, give me the grace of tenderness in the most difficult circumstances of life, give me the grace of closeness in the face of every need, of meekness in every conflict”.

Dear brothers and sisters: On this holy night we contemplate the Nativity scene: there “the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light” (Isaiah 9:1). People who were unassuming, open to receiving the gift of God, were the ones who saw this light. This light was not seen, however, by the arrogant, the proud, by those who made laws according to their own personal measures, who were closed off to others. Let us look to the crib and pray, asking the Blessed Mother: “O Mary, show us Jesus!”

Source:Religion News Service

Αγγλία: Χειροτονήθηκε η πρώτη γυναίκα επίσκοπος στην ιστορία της Αγγλικανικής Εκκλησίας

Anglican Communion News Service
Naftemporiki

Η Εκκλησία της Αγγλίας χειροτόνησε την Τετάρτη την πρώτη γυναίκα επίσκοπο, ανατρέποντας μία παράδοση η οποία ίσχυε επί αιώνες.

Η 48χρονη αιδεσιμοτάτη Λίμπι Λέιν χειροτονήθηκε νέα επίσκοπος του Στόκπορτ της βόρειας Αγγλίας.

«Είναι αναπάντεχη χαρά η παρουσία μου σήμερα εδώ. Είναι μία αξιοσημείωτη μέρα για μένα και αντιλαμβάνομαι ότι είναι μία ιστορική μέρα για την εκκλησία», είπε η κ. Λέιν, κατά την χειροτονία της.

«Αντιλαμβάνομαι αυτό το πρωινό τις αμέτρητες γυναίκες και άνδρες που επί δεκαετίες ανέμεναν την ώρα που η Εκκλησία της Αγγλίας θα ανακοίνωνε την πρώτη γυναίκα επίσκοπο», είπε η ίδια.

Η κ. Λέιν είναι παντρεμένη με τον αιδεσιμότατο Τζορτζ Λέιν, εφημέριο στην εκκλησία του αεροδρομίου του Μάντσεστερ και έχουν δύο ενήλικα παιδιά.

Από το 2000 μέχρι σήμερα, υπηρετεί στην επισκοπή του Τσέστερ, στη βορειοδυτική Αγγλία.

Τον περασμένο Ιούλιο, η Γενική Σύνοδος της Εκκλησίας της Αγγλίας, η οποία συγκλήθηκε στο Γιορκ, στη βόρεια Αγγλία, τάχθηκε υπέρ μιας μεταρρύθμισης που δίχαζε εδώ και δεκαετίες την Αγγλικανική Εκκλησία, ενώ στη συνέχεια το βρετανικό κοινοβούλιο ψήφισε υπέρ της μεταρρύθμισης.

Την πρόταση προωθούσε ο αρχιεπίσκοπος του Καντέρμπουρι Τζάστιν Ουέλμπι, πνευματικός ηγέτης των 80 εκατομμυρίων Αγγλικανών σε όλο τον κόσμο.

Η Αγγλικανική Εκκλησία επέτρεπε τη χειροτονία γυναικών ιερέων, όχι όμως και επισκόπων, από το 1994.

Ο Βρετανός πρωθυπουργός Ντέιβιντ Κάμερον συνεχάρη μέσω Twitter την κ. Λέιν. «Συγχαρητήρια στην αιδεσιμότατη Λίμπι Λέιν η οποία έγινε η πρώτη γυναίκα επίσκοπος της Εκκλησίας. Ένας ιστορικός διορισμός και μία σημαντική μέρα για την ισότητα».

Οι πολέμιοι της χειροτονίας γυναικών επισκόπων στη Μεγάλη Βρετανία υποστηρίζουν ότι κάτι τέτοιο θα παραβίαζε την παράδοση του αποκλειστικά ανδρικού κλήρου, η οποία χρονολογείται από τους Δώδεκα Αποστόλους, ενώ οι υπέρμαχοι ότι είναι ζήτημα ισότητας.

Γυναίκες επίσκοποι υπάρχουν στις ΗΠΑ, την Αυστραλία, τον Καναδά, τη Νέα Ζηλανδία, ωστόσο οι αγγλικανικές εκκλησίες σε πολλές αναπτυσσόμενες χώρες δεν τις χειροτονούν ως ιερείς.

Church of England’s first woman bishop chosen Church of England expected to announce the appointment its first female bishop just four weeks after historic change to canon law

The Church of England is poised to announce the appointment of its first female bishop marking the end of centuries of all-male leadership.

The Telegraph understands that a female priest has been chosen as the new Bishop of Stockport which has been vacant since May when the previous holder, the Rt Rev Robert Atwell, was made Bishop of Exeter.

The historic appointment comes just four weeks after the Church of England’s ruling General Synod formally enacted a change to canon law opening the episcopate to women for the first time, ending 40 years of legislative wrangling and almost a century of campaigning.

The identity of the new bishop is a closely guarded secret but it is understood an announcement of the appointment, by the Queen, will be made by Downing Street on Wednesday.

The Telegraph has also learnt that new legislation to fast-track women bishops into the House of Lords will be introduced to Parliament on Thursday.

Ministers hope it will mean the first female clerics will be taking their places among the upper chamber's “Lords Spiritual” before the general election in May.
The new Bishop of Stockport will, however, not be in line to enter the Lords as the post is a junior, or suffragan, see within the Diocese of Chester.
Suffragan bishops can be appointed more quickly than those in charge of a diocese, as they are chosen by the diocesan bishop, side-stepping much of the formality.
But it is the thought that the first female diocesan bishop could be chosen in the New Year. The Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham signalled recently that female candidates had been considered for its vacancy.
The Church of England ldeclined to comment on the Stockport apointment. A spokesman said: “We do not comment on speculation regarding the announcement of bishops.”
Meanwhile a bill to be presented to the Commons on Thursday will suspend the current rules governing appointments of bishops to the Lords for 10 years to allow future female bishops to leap-frog their male colleagues into the upper house.
All three main Westminster parties have signalled their backing for the move which would allow a limited form of positive discrimination to end the current all-male bishops’ bench in the Lords.
Sam Gyimah, the Cabinet Office minister set to steer the legislation through the Commons, said it was hoped it would clear both houses and receive Royal Assent by the spring.
The decision to devote legislative time to the bill, which was not a manifesto commitment, in the final months of the current Parliament is an indication of the level of importance David Cameron attaches to the issue.
Mr Gyimah said: “Thursday is the formal introduction of the Bill in the Commons, it will then be published and will have a date for second reading, if all goes according to plan, early in the New Year with a view to completing the parliamentary stages and receiving Royal Assent before the end of this Parliament.
“Ordinarily there is a period of time before acts come into force but this would come into effect virtually immediately so it is possible that you will have a woman bishop in the House of Lords by time of the general election.”
As part of the Church of England’s unique established position, 26 Anglican bishops are entitled to sit in the House of Lords.
While the five most senior figures in the Church – the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and bishops of London, Durham and Winchester – automatically join the upper house, the remaining seats are allotted to those who have been bishops for longest.
As there are more than 40 bishops eligible to sit in the Lords in principle, it means most must have to wait several years for one of the current Lords Spiritual to retire before taking their place.
The new bill would suspend that rule for a decade to give female diocesan bishops priority over their male counterparts if a vacancy on the bishops’ bench opens up.


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Enzo Bianchi: ecumenismo l’unità «plurale» dei cristiani.

​Va riconosciuto che papa Francesco, fin dai primi giorni del suo pontificato, ha saputo suscitare attese di una più profonda comunione tra le Chiese, con parole e gesti riconosciuti anche dai non cattolici come derivanti dal Vangelo, obbedienti alla volontà di Gesù espressa nella preghiera ultima al Padre: «Che siano uno perché il mondo creda» (Gv 17,21). Il pellegrinaggio in Terrasanta e l’incontro con il patriarca ecumenico di Costantinopoli e agli altri patriarchi presenti a Gerusalemme, il recente viaggio a Istanbul con i ripetuti incontri con Bartholomeos, l’accoglienza e il dialogo - potremmo dire inaugurato da papa Francesco - con gli evangelicali, la gioia con cui egli incontra autorità delle Chiese non cattoliche sono segni evidenti di un clima mutato. Va anche notato che oggi nell’oriente ortodosso vi sono alcuni patriarchi, come il "papa" copto Tawadros II o Youhanna X di Antiochia, che si sono mostrati aperti e seriamente impegnati nel dialogo intraecclesiale. Condizioni favorevoli, dunque, per il dialogo specialmente tra Chiesa cattolica e Chiese ortodosse - quattordici Chiese autocefale - anche se tensioni e rivalità tra le autorità di queste Chiese creano complicazioni e rallentamenti.

Una tappa comunque importante nel dialogo teologico è rappresentata dal Documento di Ravenna, firmato nel 2007 dalle Chiese ortodosse e dalla Chiesa cattolica, in cui si afferma concordemente che non c’è sinodalità senza protos, un "primo" e non c’è protos senza sinodalità: questo a livello diocesano, regionale e universale, con il connesso riconoscimento che a quest’ultimo livello il protos è ravvisabile nel vescovo di Roma, «la Chiesa che presiede nella carità», secondo l’espressione di sant’Ignazio di Antiochia, alla quale spetta un primato.

L’ultima riunione della commissione di dialogo cattolico-ortodosso, tenutasi ad Amman, ha dato segni di impasse, ma il dialogo prosegue e la celebrazione del sinodo panortodosso nel 2016 potrà rappresentare un’occasione di impulso e di sinfonia tra le Chiese ortodosse. Così, il dialogo con l’ortodossia resta intenso, soprattutto con il patriarcato ecumenico di Costantinopoli: papa Francesco a questo proposito ha dichiarato che «per giungere alla meta sospirata della piena unità, la Chiesa cattolica non intende imporre alcuna esigenza, se non quella della professione della fede comune»; quanto al ministero petrino, ha affermato che intende continuare il confronto richiesto da Giovanni Paolo II nell’enciclica Ut unum sint perché, ispirati dalla prassi del primo millennio, si giunga a un accordo sulle «modalità con le quali garantire la necessaria unità della Chiesa nelle attuali circostanze», cioè sulla forma dell’esercizio del primato. Colpiscono in questo senso le parole di papa Francesco che legge le scomuniche comminate reciprocamente tra Roma e Costantinopoli come un evento dovuto al fatto che «la Chiesa guardava a se stessa e non guardava a Gesù Cristo!».

Parimenti colpiscono le parole del patriarca Bartholomeos circa «l’idea dell’impero cristiano e della societas cristiana, che hanno travalicato il principio buono per introdurre lo spirito mondano» e questo perché «il seduttore del mondo ha cercato e cerca di rendere vano l’annuncio del Vangelo». Una convergenza di pensiero tra Francesco e Bartholomeos che stupisce, ma che si coglie nettamente dagli incontri e dalle parole che si scambiano.

Parallelamente al dialogo con le Chiese ortodosse, prosegue da parte cattolica il dialogo con le Chiese orientali. La strada è ancora lunga, ma la volontà c’è e l’ecumenismo del sangue è eloquente come mai e fa riscoprire come per ogni cristiano sia decisivo il battesimo. Ma l’unità visibile può essere ritrovata come nei primi secoli: un’unità plurale, che contiene la ricchezza della differenza e sa trascendere i conflitti che non possono essere rimossi nel cammino della Chiesa nella storia.
Ma se sono così carichi di speranza i dialoghi con le Chiese d’oriente, occorre ammettere  -  con rincrescimento ma con chiarezza - che più difficili si fanno i dialoghi con le altre Chiese: un ultimo esempio viene dai rapporti con i vetero-cattolici a causa dei loro accordi di intercomunione con Chiese della Riforma come quelle luterane o della Comunione anglicana.

Per la Chiesa cattolica, che riconosce ai vescovi vetero-cattolici la successione apostolica e la conseguente validità dei sacramenti, sorge ora una domanda circa la loro comprensione della dottrina del ministero: è ancora quella condivisa? Un dialogo che si fa ancor più accidentato con quelle Chiese della Riforma dove l’ammissione delle donne al ministero episcopale e l’approfondirsi di un distacco su molti temi di morale cristiana accentuano le divergenze. Semplificando in modo forse eccessivo, si potrebbe dire che tra Chiesa cattolica e Chiese della Riforma c’è stato un avvicinamento nella dottrina, soprattutto sull’eucaristia, ma un allontanamento sempre più marcato in ambito etico, in particolare per ciò che concerne la morale sessuale e matrimoniale.

Inoltre occorre registrare che con queste Chiese si è fatto più evanescente lo scopo stesso dell’ecumenismo: si è fatta strada infatti l’idea che occorra solo riconoscersi reciprocamente, che non si debba cercare un’unità visibile nella professione di fede e che ci si debba perciò rassegnare alle attuali divergenze perché si pensa che la Chiesa è sempre stata divisa e che le diverse confessioni cristiane sono tutte legittime. Ma per la Chiesa cattolica e per quelle ortodosse, così come anche per molti teologi, pastori e fedeli protestanti, l’unità della Chiesa sta nella volontà di Cristo e ad essa non si può rinunciare: equivarrebbe a dichiarare che il divisore ha la vittoria e che si accoglie un pensiero debole in cui tutto si eguaglia senza una regula fidei.

Oggi poi prende sempre più corpo una novità che riguarda da vicino l’ecumenismo: l’emergenza delle comunità ecclesiali di matrice evangelicale e carismatica. Sono una pleiade di comunità locali, una rete di Chiese senza strutture unitarie che conta ormai 600 milioni di fedeli in tutto il mondo. È una nuova forma di vivere il cristianesimo che entra nella storia, dopo la divisione tra Oriente e Occidente nell’XI secolo e il discrimine della Riforma nel XVI secolo. È molto difficile descrivere questo fenomeno cristiano così variegato, parcellizzato, mobile... Si tratta di capire queste realtà che conoscono una grossa carica missionaria e una forte espansione: come tracciare un dialogo con queste realtà? Che rappresentatività di questa miriade di comunità si può delineare per un dialogo efficiente e fruttuoso? Si possono certo fare incontri personali in cui l’essere cristiani implica il rispetto, la collaborazione, il riconoscimento del battesimo come fondamento della vita cristiana, ma resta vero che la realtà evangelico-pentecostale è una nebulosa con cui il confronto dottrinale è difficile, esile e non sempre possibile.

Dobbiamo d’altronde tenere conto di tre evidenze: innanzitutto, l’ecumenismo ha solo un secolo di vita e, per la Chiesa cattolica, solo cinquant’anni di pratica autorizzata a livello ecclesiale. Inoltre esistono situazione di "non contemporaneità" tra le Chiese: le rispettive storie sono diverse, altro è l’Occidente, altro il Medio Oriente, altro l’emisfero Sud del mondo e altro ancora l’Estremo Oriente. Dovremmo avere l’onestà di riconoscere che sovente non siamo culturalmente contemporanei. Infine, legato a questo dato, va costatato che oggi più che mai si fanno sentire come determinanti le differenze culturali. Davvero nuove sfide ci attendono, nuove congiunture ci condizionano. Ma l’ecumenismo non è una moda e nemmeno un segno dei tempi: sta nella volontà del Signore Gesù Cristo ed essere ecumenici fa parte dell’essere cristiani. 

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ΣΥΝΑΝΤΗΣΗ ΤΟΥ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΟΥ ΚΥΡΙΛΛΟΥ ΜΕ ΤΟΝ ΠΡΟΪΣΤΑΜΕΝΟ ΤΗΣ ΔΙΕΥΘΥΝΣΕΩΣ ΘΡΗΣΚΕΥΤΙΚΩΝ ΥΠΟΘΕΣΕΩΝ ΤΗΣ ΤΟΥΡΚΙΑΣ

Με τον κ. Mehmet Görmez Προϊστάμενο της Διευθύνσεως θρησκευτικών υποθέσεων της Τουρκικής Δημοκρατίας  είχε συνάντηση στις 11 Δεκεμβρίου 2014 ο  Πατριάρχη Ρωσίας Κύριλλος στην Πατριαρχική κατοικία στη Μόσχα.

Επίσης συμμετείχαν ο Πρέσβης της Τουρκίας στη Μόσχα κ. Ümit Yardım, ο σύμβουλος του Πρέσβεως κ. Mehmet Emin Kiraz, ο σύμβουλος επί θρησκευτικών θεμάτων της Πρεσβείας της Τουρκικής Δημοκρατίας στη Ρωσική Ομοσπονδία κ. Dursun Aygün.

Από το Τμήμα Εξωτερικών Εκκλησιαστικών Σχέσεων του Πατριαρχείου Μόσχας συμμετείχαν οι Αναπληρωτές Πρόεδροι Πρωθιερέας Νικόλαος Μπαλασώφ και Αρχιμανδρίτης Φιλάρετος Μπουλέκωφ.

Καλωσορίζων τον προσκεκλημένο ο Αγιώτατος Πατριάρχης Κύριλλος αναφέρθηκε στη γενομένη το 2011 συνάντηση με τον κ. Mehmet Görmez, διά της οποίας τέθηκε αρχή στις συστηματικές σχέσεις μεταξύ του Πατριαρχείου Μόσχας και μουσουλμάνων ηγετών της Τουρκίας. Μεταξύ όσων συμφωνήθηκαν τότε ήταν ο σύσταση ομάδας εργασίας επί διαλόγου μεταξύ της Ορθοδόξου Εκκλησίας της Ρωσίας και της Διευθύνσεως θρησκευτικών υποθέσεων της Τουρκικής Δημοκρατίας.

Στα πλαίσια των συναντήσεων της ομάδας εργασίας συζητούνται ειδκότερα δε θέματα προσκυνηματικών περιηγήσεων και θρησκευτικού τουρισμού, ανταλλαγές φοιτητών. Ο Αγιώτατος Πατριάχης Κύριλλος εισηγήθηκε τις τακτικές συναντήσεις της ομάδας εργασίας και τη διεύρυνση του θεματολογίου.

«Θα ήταν καλό να συμμετέχουν στην ομάδα και από τις δύο πλευρές οι επιστήμονές μας, διότι είναι μεγάλη ανάγκη να εξετάζουμε από κοινού το τι γίνεται με τον ανθρώπινο πολιτισμό. Είναι προφανές ότι ο δυτικός πολιτισμός, η σύγχρονη δυτική κουλτούρα έχουν χάσει τη σχέση τους με τη θρησκεία και δεν είναι δυνατόν πλέον να χαρακτηρίσουμε το δυτικό κόσμο ως χριστιανικό. Οι θρηκευτικές αξίες σχεδόν έχουν φύγει από το δημόσιο χώρο. Ψηφίζονται νόμοι οι οποίοι έρχονται σε αντίθεση με τις θείες εντολές και την παραδεδομένη ηθική».

Σύμφωνα με τον Αγιώτατο Πατριάρχη οι ως άνω εξελίξεις δεν επιμαρτυρούν μια απλή πολιτιστική στροφή μακριά από τις θρησκευτικές πηγές αλλά το ιδεολογικό χάσμα.

«Φρονώ ότι πρέπει από κοινού να μιλήσουμε δημοσίως για αυτά τα θέματα, τόνισε ο κ. Κύριλλος και συνέχισε, ότι πρέπει να αντιδράσουμε σ΄εκείνα, τα οποία δεν αντιστοιχούν στις θρησκευτικές μας πεποιθήσεις».

Ο  Πατριάρχης Ρωσίας  Κύριλλος επίσης έκανε αναφορά στη συνεργασία με τη Ρωμαιοκαθολική Εκκλησία: «Οι Ρωμαιοκαθολικοί έχουν κρατήσει τη βιβλική παράδοση, αλλά είναι ολοένα κα πιο δύσκολο να δηλώνουν τη θέση τους. Προσπαθούμε με κάθε μέσο να στηρίζουμε τη Ρωμαιοκαθολική Εκκλησία. Κρίνουμε είναι ανάγκη να αναπτύσσουμε το διάλογο με αυτή επί των ἐν λόγῳ θεμάτων».

Συνεχίζοντας τη σκέψη του ο Αγιώτατος κ. Κύριλλος τόνισε την ανάγκη συσφίξεως σχέσεων με τον ισλαμικό κόσμο και λοιπές θρησκευτικές ομάδες, οι οποίες ακολουθούν τις θεόσδοτες ηθικές αρχές.

Ο Προκαθήμενος της Ορθοδόξου Εκκλησίας της Ρωσίας εξέφρασε τη βαθιά του ανησυχία για τη χριστιανοφοβία, η οποία απλώνεται τώρα στη Μέση Ανατολή. «Ανησυχούμε πολύ για τα τεκταινόμενα στις χώρες όπως το Ιράκ, η Συρία και άλλες, όπου οι μαχητές εξοντώνουν τους χριστιανούς. Στο βόρειο Ιράκ στην περιοχή της Μοσούλης έχει αποδεκασθεί ο χριστιανικός πληθυσμός. Κατατρέφονται Ιεροί Ναοί, οι χριστιανοί είτε εξολοθρεύουνται είτε εξισλαμίζονται, είτε υποδουλώνονται, είτε καταβάλλουν ειδικούς φόρους».

Η Ρωσική Εκκλησία ανησυχεί πολύ για την τύχη των δυο απαχθέντων χριστιανών Ιεραρχών – Μητροπολιτών Χαλεπίου Παύλου και μαρ Γρηγορίου Ιωάννου Ιμπραίμ, υπογράμμισε ο Ρώσος Προκαθήμενος.

Σύμφωνα με τον Αγίωτατο κ. Κύριλλο το πρόβλημα της χριστιανοφοβίας είναι επίκαιρο και για τις δυτικές χώρες.

Ταυτόχρονα ο Προκαθήμενος της Ρωσικής Εκκλησίας αναφέρθηκε και στο πρόβλημα της ισλαμοφοβίας. Όπως πιστεύει ο κ. Κύριλλος θα ήταν χρήσιμο να εξετασθούν από κοινού αυτά τα φαινόμενα και να αξιολογηθούν οι επιμέρους καταστάσεις.

Ο Αγιώτατος κ. Κύριλλος υπέδειξε τις καταστροφικές συνέπειες της δράσεως των ριζοσπαστικών δυνάμεων και ειδικότερα δε της ομάδας «Ισλαμικό κράτος». «Δεν με εγκαταλείπει η σκέψη ότι η «αραβική άνοιξη» και η ανάδειξη των μουσουλμανικών ριζοσπαστικών παραστρατιωτικών δυνάμεων, οι δημόσιες εκτελέσεις των ανθρώπων όλα αυτά στοχεύουν στη δαιμονονποίηση  του Ισλάμ μπροστά στη διεθνή κοινωνική γνώμη», είπε εν κατακλείδι ο Πατριάρχης Κύριλλος.

Ακολούθησε η ανταλλαγή ενθυμίων.

 

Πηγή:

Τμημα Εξωτερικών και Εκκλησιασιτκών Υποθέσεων Πατριαρχείου Ρωσίας

Ioannis of Pergamon: The meeting at the Phanar took place in “anticipation” of full communion

Gianni Valente Rome

Pope Francis has publicly referred to him as the greatest Christian theologian around. But Joseph Ratzinger also held him in high regard when he was Pope. The Metropolitan of Pergamon, Ioannis Zizioulas, previously a member of the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, attended the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of St. Andrews alongside Pope Francis and the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, on Sunday 30 November. Under the vaults of the Patriarchal Church of St. George in the Phanar on the Golden Horn, Metropolitan Ioannis – who co-chairs the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church – was also struck by the words the Bishop of Rome pronounced at the time. Particularly when the Pope said that in the context of the efforts being made to achieve full unity between Catholic and Orthodox Christians, the Catholic Church "does not intend to impose any conditions except that of the shared profession of faith”.

Those were powerful words the Pope pronounced at the Phanar Your Eminence.

Coming from a Pope, those words are very powerful indeed and represent a big step forward, which the Orthodox will appreciate. Because for many centuries, the Orthodox believed that the Pope wanted to subjugate them. And now we see this is not in any way true. The emphasis he placed on professing and sharing the same faith is also important. Professing the same faith is the only basis of our unity. The question is recognising what that same faith is; we need to profess this faith together in order for us to be in full communion.

Which criterion should be followed? 

For us members of the orthodox Church, the common faith that makes full communion possible is the one professed in the 7 Ecumenical Councils of the first millennium. We need to clarify, from a Catholic point of view, whether a common faith that allows for sacramental communion should also include certain doctrines and dogmatic definitions which were established unilaterally by the Catholic Church. This point needs to be clarified in order to determine what concrete consequences may derive from the Pope’s words at the Phanar.

Is this clarification also to do with the Pope’s role and his ministry?

Of course. If the reference criterion being looked at were the shared understanding of the role of the Bishop of Rome which prevailed in the first millennium, then there would be no problem. We know that in the second millennium, different conceptions of the papacy emerged. And this issue has been at the centre of the Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches’ work for years. In the first millennium, the question surrounding the primacy of the Bishop of Rome was not about him not being recognised as an individual, but as the head of his Church. When we speak about primacy, we refer to the primacy of Roman Catholic Church, which is exercised by the Pope, who is Bishop of that see.

Is Christian unity only of interest to Christians? 

In the speech he gave at the end of the liturgy for the Feast of St. Andrews, Patriarch Bartholomew reiterated that the Church does not exist for itself but for the whole world. For the salvation of men and women who live in the world. Unity also helps give a stronger common testimony in the face of the problems that afflict the world and society today. Environmental problems, for example, or problems linked to the protection of creation. This is another important message that came through from the Pope’s visit to the Phanar.

Some say Christians should work together on concrete issues, leaving aside their attempts to mend theological and sacramental divisions. What do you think? 

We tend to distinguish between co-operation and aspirations of unity. I believe “collaboration” is not enough. Our greatest wish is to achieve full communion in the Eucharist and across the Church’s structures. This is not yet possible. But it is still something we cannot forget or put aside.

The Ecumenical Patriarch said that Pope Francis has reignited hope among Orthodox faithful by assuring that the Churches will return to full communion during his.

The current Pope has given some very important signs that give us the hope that quick progress will be made in achieving full communion. The way in which he is carrying out his ministry removes the many apprehensions and fears of the past. With the current Bishop of Rome we are seeing a ministry os charity and service. And this really is a big step forward. Furthermore, in some parts of the world like the Middle East, Christians are suffering and their persecutors do not stop to ask them whether they are Catholic or Orthodox. All that matters is that they are Christian. This means that from the outside, we are seen as one family, the divisions we sometimes seem to have grown used to, are of no consequence. This also suggests that whether we like it or not, with this Pope and under the current circumstances, so many opportunities are presenting themselves from an ecumenical point of view.

On the way back from Istanbul, Pope Francis quoted Patriarch Athenagoras who suggested that to make progress on the path toward full unity, all theologians needed to be left on an island to discuss, while the Churches went on with their work. “If we wait for theologians to reach an agreement,” the Pope said, “that day will never come!”

Yes, this may be true. But at the same time, history tells us that theology has divided the Church. So now, theology must help remedy and unite the Church. We cannot ignore the theological disagreements that have caused division in the Church.

Will the pan-Orthodox Synod due to take place in 2016 deal with the question of unity with the Catholic Church?

Perhaps, but only in broad terms. It could be the right time to take stock of the big steps forward that have been made. But I do not think we will see anything more than this. The focus will be mainly on existing problems in the Orthodox world.

The latest theological discussions between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches have not yielded many results, particularly due to the divisions that have emerged between the Orthodox Churches. How do you explain his?

It is important for the Orthodox Churches to be united. Unfortunately I see some Orthodox adopting the old attitudes of hostility toward the Catholic Church and toward the papacy. And this certainly does not make the situation any easier.

Source:Vatican Insider

 

Αμερικής Δημήτριος: Ο διάλογος Βαρθολομαίου - Φραγκίσκου ενισχύει τη συνεργασία

«Ο διάλογος του Πατριάρχη Βαρθολομαίου με τον Πάπα Φραγκίσκο δεν αποτελεί "συνθηκολόγηση" ή "υποταγή" της Ορθοδοξίας. Αντίθετα, ενισχύει τη δυνατότητα συνεργασίας και την αναζήτηση λύσεων σε άμεσα προβλήματα που αφορούν τη φτώχεια, τη βία (τρομοκρατία) και τη νεολαία» δήλωσε ο αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής Δημήτριος, ο οποίος συμμετείχε στις συναντήσεις και τις θρησκευτικές τελετές που πραγματοποιήθηκαν στο Πατριαρχείο, στη διάρκεια της πρόσφατης επίσκεψης στην Κωνσταντινούπολη του προκαθημένου της Ρωμαιοκαθολικής Εκκλησίας.

Αποτιμώντας το αποτέλεσμα της επίσκεψης του Πάπα Φραγκίσκου και τις συζητήσεις που είχε με τον Οικουμενικό Πατριάρχη Βαρθολομαίο, ο αρχιεπίσκοπος Δημήτριος τόνισε:

«Είναι πράγματα που είναι οφθαλμοφανή και δεν χρειάζονται ιδιαίτερη σοφία. Πρώτον, τέτοιου είδους συναντήσεις ενισχύουν την επικοινωνία. Κι όταν συμβαίνει κάτι τέτοιο, αυτομάτως ενισχύεται ο διάλογος. Κι αυτή είναι η πρώτη σοβαρή επίπτωση της συνάντησης. Επίσης, αυξάνεται η δυνατότητα συνεργασίας για αντιμετώπιση γενικότερων θεμάτων. Και να αναφέρω ένα παράδειγμα: Ο Πάπας είπε -και ο Πατριάρχης είναι ακριβώς στην ίδια γραμμή- ότι αντιμετωπίζουμε ένα μεγάλο θέμα, τη φτώχεια με όλες τις συνέπειές της. Και φτώχεια με την πλατύτερή της έννοια: στέρηση δυνατοτήτων, καταστάσεις καταπίεσης κλπ. Επομένως, η φτώχεια είναι ένα θέμα στο οποίο πρέπει να εργαστούμε. Δεύτερο, είναι το θέμα που λέγεται βία στον κόσμο και η οποία εκφράζεται σε ακραίες μορφές, ακόμη και από θρησκευτικές κοινότητες. Και το τρίτο, είναι η νεολαία. Δεν θέλουμε να δούμε μια νεολαία η οποία δεν θα έχει μέλλον».

Ο κ. Δημήτριος σημείωσε ότι «αυτά τα ζητήματα, λοιπόν, μπορούν να προωθηθούν από πλευράς συγκεκριμένων μορφών αντιμετωπίσεως και δράσεως όταν υπάρχει μια αυξημένη συνεργασία». «Αυτά δεν έχουν καμία σχέση και καμία σύνδεση με τους φόβους ορισμένων ακραίων ανθρώπων περί "συνθηκολόγησης" ή "υποταγής" της Ορθοδοξίας. Τίποτα απ' αυτά. Διάλογος σημαίνει δυνατότητα συνεργασίας με σκοπό να αναζητηθούν λύσεις, με αποτελεσματικό τρόπο, σε άμεσα προβλήματα, κοινωνικά και διεθνή, που αφορούν την φτώχεια, τη βία και τη νεολαία και τα οποία δεν θίγουν το δόγμα, γιατί υπάρχουν πολύ σαφείς τοποθετήσεις. Και δεν αποτελεί "συνθηκολόγηση" ή "υποταγή" της Ορθοδοξίας», τόνισε.

Ακόμη, ο αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής ανέφερε ότι «η συνάντηση έγινε σε πνεύμα εγκαρδιότητας» και σημείωσε: «Ο Πάπας είναι ένας άνθρωπος που δείχνει ταπείνωση, δεν δείχνει έπαρση. Ενώ είναι σαφής σε ορισμένες πολύ ισχυρές ιδέες, από την άλλη μεριά, είναι ο άνθρωπος που είναι πολύ ανοικτός σε συνεργασία. Αυτή η επικοινωνία έχει αυξήσει την ευκολία επικοινωνίας με τον Πατριάρχη. Δηλαδή, είναι άνετοι και οι δυο όπως συζητούν, πράγμα το οποίο δεν είναι εύκολο να γίνει. Επομένως, αυτό είναι μεγάλο πλεονέκτημα, γιατί πολλές φορές αυτή η άνεση επικοινωνίας λύει προβλήματα τα οποία δεν λύνονται εύκολα. Μπορεί να ασχολούνται με κάτι για χρόνια και όταν πουν "κοιτάξτε, κλείστε το θέμα", κλείνει, γιατί υπάρχει αυτή η ανεπτυγμένη επικοινωνία που βοηθάει πάρα πολύ σε αντιμετώπιση θεμάτων για τα οποία υπάρχουν ανάγκες. Ο Χριστιανισμός είναι η κατεξοχήν θρησκεία της αγάπης, της φροντίδας για τους ανθρώπους και θέλουμε με κάθε τρόπο να έχουμε αυξημένες δυνατότητες προς αυτή την κατεύθυνση».

Πηγή:

ethnos

Dialogue over Pope-Patriarch meeting thwarted by Greek Catholics’ actions in Ukraine – patriarch’s spokesperson

Moscow, December 3, Interfax – The Moscow Patriarchate is still not ruling out a possibility of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia meeting with Pope Francis, but pointed to the factors that impeded dialogue on this matter.

“The subject of a meeting between the Patriarch of Moscow and the Pope is on the agenda of the two Churches, and the Holy Patriarch highly values the balanced and genuinely Christian position of Pope Francis on many problems faced by present-day society,” Patriarchate spokesman Deacon Alexander Volkov told Interfax-Religion.

This makes both Churches “strategic partners” in the attestation to the Christian moral values, the need to preserve peace and mutual understanding between people of various faiths and nationalities, in defending the rights of Christians in the Middle East, the spokesperson said.

The view of the leader of the Roman Catholic Church on the difficult situation in present-day Ukraine largely overlaps with that of the Russian Orthodox Church, he said.

“Like Patriarch Kirill already said on multiple occasions, the only service the Church can conduct in this conflict is a peacekeeping one that would exclude any political preferences. And in this sense, we have to acknowledge once again that the line pursued by the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is a significant factor thwarting normal development of the relations between the Churches,” he said.

Another factor is “the overt support for one of the parties to the conflict, and public association with schismatics in Ukraine,” Deacon Volkov said.

“We would like to hope that the voice of our Church will be heard and the involvement of the Greek Catholics in the political conflict in Ukraine will decrease, thereby creating favorable conditions for maintaining a proper dialogue between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, including on the subject of a possible meeting between the Patriarch and the Pope,” he summed up.

One of these days the Pope expressed a wish to meet with Patriarch Kirill. “I signaled to the Patriarch Kirill that I would like to meet him. He backed the idea. I told him: ‘Invite me, and I will come over.’ He too expressed such a desire,” the pontific said on the Italian television.

At the same time Pope Francis said that the current international situation is not conducive to such a meeting. “Recently, the problem of the war (in Ukraine) and many other difficulties have pushed the subject of a meeting with the Pope to the back burner. Nevertheless, both of us want to meet and move forward,” he added.

The Uniates, or Greek Catholics, are part of the Roman Catholic Church; however, they conduct church services according to the Byzantine ritual which is identical to the Orthodox one. The Uniates’ positions are particularly strong in Western Ukraine which saw a number of serious conflicts between the Uniates and the Orthodox Christians in the 1990s.

Tensions in the relations between the Orthodox believers and the Uniates in Ukraine is among the factors which have for years prevented a meeting between the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Pope.

Source: Interfax

Francis and Bartholomew issue Resounding, Historic calls for Church Reunification

by Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter

Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, leaders of the millennium-long separated Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, have issued resounding and historic calls for the reunification of their global communities.

Speaking to one another after a solemn Orthodox divine liturgy in St. George, an historic Christian center, Sunday, both leaders pledged to intensify efforts for full unity of their churches, saying such unity already exists among Christians dying in conflicts in the Middle East.

For his part, Francis made what appears to be the strongest and most encompassing call yet from a Catholic pontiff for unity. Seeking to assure Orthodox leaders that restoration of full communion between the churches would respect Eastern traditions, he said reunion would “not signify the submission of one to the other, or assimilation.”

“I want to assure each one of you here that, to reach the desired goal of full unity, the Catholic church does not intend to impose any conditions except that of the shared profession of faith,” said the pope.

Continuing, Francis said: “The one thing that the Catholic church desires, and that I seek as Bishop of Rome, ‘the church which presides in charity,’ is communion with the Orthodox churches.”

Bartholomew called the process for reunification of the two churches — started by Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras with a meeting in Jerusalem 50 years ago — “irreversible” and said the two communities have no option but to join together.

“We no longer have the luxury of isolated action,” said Bartholomew. “The modern persecutors of Christians do not ask which church their victims belong to. The unity that concerns us is regrettably already occurring in certain regions of the world through the blood of martyrdom.”

The addresses by Bartholomew and Francis came on the last day of the pope’s stay in Turkey, which the pontiff has been visiting since Friday. They spoke to one another at the patriarchal church of St. George, where Bartholomew and the ecumenical patriarchate are centered.

The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, which together are estimated to have some 2 billion adherents, have been separated since the year 1054. Serious efforts for reconciliation between the traditions did not start until the 1964 meeting of Paul and Athenagoras, which eventually led to the opening of joint theological dialogues on reunification in 1980.

Francis and Bartholomew also issued a joint declaration following the liturgy Sunday, pledging “to intensify our efforts to promote the full unity of all Christians, and above all Catholics and Orthodox.”

But the strongest words of the day came in the leaders’ earlier speeches to one another, in which they both stressed the similarities between their persons and the focus of their communities and made poetic and serious commitments to seeking unity.

Saying that as a result of the Paul and Athenagoras meeting “the flow of history has literally changed direction,” Bartholomew said until then “cold love” between the churches had been rekindled and their desire to reunify “galvanized.”

“Thenceforth, the road to Emmaus has opened up before us – a road that, while perhaps lengthy and sometimes even rugged, is nonetheless irreversible,” said the patriarch.

Asking a series of rhetorical questions, Bartholomew then seemed to pick up on a key phrase of Francis’ papacy so far, that the church “cannot be self-centered, revolving around itself.”

“What is the benefit of boasting for what we have received unless these translate into life for humanity and our world both today and tomorrow?” asked Bartholomew. The church, he said, “is called to keep its sight fixed not so much on yesterday as on today and tomorrow.

“The church exists not for itself, but for the world and for humanity,” he continued.

“Even as we are preoccupied with our own contentions, the world experiences the fear of survival, the concern for tomorrow,” said the patriarch. “How can humanity survive tomorrow when it is severed today by diverse divisions, conflicts and animosities, frequently even in the name of God?”

“Nowadays many people place their hope on science; others on politics; still others in technology,” he continued. “Yet none of these can guarantee the future, unless humanity espouses the message of reconciliation, love and justice; the mission of embracing the other, the stranger, and even the enemy.”

“This is precisely why the path toward unity is more urgent than ever for those who invoke the name of the great Peacemaker,” said Bartholomew. “This is precisely why our responsibility as Christians is so great before God, humankind and history.”

Francis took a similar theme, saying that in today’s world “voices are being raised which we cannot ignore and which implore our churches to live deeply our identity as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The pontiff mentioned particularly the voices of:

• The poor, “who suffer from severe malnutrition, growing unemployment, the rising numbers of unemployed youth, and from increasing social exclusion.””As Christians we are called together to eliminate that globalization of indifference which today seems to reign supreme, while building a new civilization of love and solidarity,” he said.

• Victims of conflicts, saying: “We hear this resoundingly here, because some neighboring countries are scarred by an inhumane and brutal war.””The cry of the victims of conflict urges us to move with haste along the path of reconciliation and communion between Catholics and Orthodox,” said the pope. Citing Paul VI’s encyclical Evangelii Nuntiandi, he asked: “Indeed, how can we credibly proclaim the message of peace which comes from Christ, if there continues to be rivalry and disagreement between us?”

• Young people, many of whom “seek happiness solely in possessing material things and in satisfying their fleeting emotions.””New generations will never be able to acquire true wisdom and keep hope alive unless we are able to esteem and transmit the true humanism which comes from the Gospel and from the church’s age-old experience,” said Francis. “It is precisely the young who today implore us to make progress towards full communion.”

Bartholomew also took a personal tone with Francis, saying his brief papacy had “already manifested you in peoples’ conscience today as a herald of love, peace and reconciliation.”

“You preach with words, but above and beyond all with the simplicity, humility and love toward everyone that you exercise your high ministry,” Bartholomew told Francis. “You inspire trust in those who doubt, hope in those who despair, anticipation in those who expect a church that nurtures all people.”

Mentioning that the Orthodox are preparing for a Great Council of their bishops in 2016, Bartholomew also expressed hope that once the Orthodox and Catholics reunified they could host a Great Ecumenical Council together.

“Let us pray that, once full communion is restored, this significant and special day will also not be prolonged,” he said.

In their joint declaration together, the patriarch and pope also expressed “common concern” for “Iraq, Syria, and the whole Middle East.” While not mentioning specifically any particular group such as the Islamic State, the two lamented the estimated hundreds of thousands who have been forced to flee violence in the region.

“Many of our brothers and sisters are being persecuted and have been forced violently from their homes,” said the two leaders.

“It even seems that the value of human life has been lost, that the human person no longer matters and may be sacrificed to other interests,” they continued. “And, tragically, all this is met by the indifference of many.”

Because of the violence against Christians, they said, “there is also an ecumenism of suffering.”

“Just as the blood of the martyrs was a seed of strength and fertility for the church, so too the sharing of daily sufferings can become an effective instrument of unity,” they continued.

Bartholomew and Francis also called for renewed efforts at Christian-Muslim dialogue, saying “we also recognize the importance of promoting a constructive dialogue with Islam based on mutual respect and friendship.”

“Muslims and Christians are called to work together for the sake of justice, peace and respect for the dignity and rights of every person, especially in those regions where they once lived for centuries in peaceful coexistence and now tragically suffer together the horrors of war,” they said.

The two leaders also mentioned continued turmoil in Ukraine, where some 30 percent of the population is estimated to be Orthodox, calling on “all parties involved to pursue the path of dialogue and of respect for international law.”

Francis was to depart Istanbul for the Vatican Sunday afternoon, after meeting with a group of Syrian refugees living in Turkey after fleeing violence in their home country.

During his three-day trip to Turkey, in which Francis visited the capital of Ankara on Friday before heading to Istanbul Saturday, the pontiff also met with Turkish leaders, toured a mosque and the historic Hagia Sophia, and said Mass for Istanbul’s small Catholic community.

The pontiff’s visit to the continent-straddling nation was keenly watched both for its significance to ecumenical relations and to western outreach to the Middle East, where many have been the victim of violence from the Islamic State group.

Speaking to Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Friday, Francis said military solutions cannot stop violence in the Middle East and instead called for a “solidarity of all believers” to counter religious fundamentalism.

To Istanbul’s small Catholic community Saturday, the pontiff called on the church to leave its “comfort zone” and to “throw off defensiveness” to overcome misunderstanding and division.