June 6th 2010 at Larnaca International Airport.
* * *
Mr President,
Distinguished Authorities,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The time has now come for me to leave you, after my brief but
fruitful Apostolic Journey to Cyprus.
Mr President, I thank you for your kind words and I am happy to
express my gratitude to you for all that you, your Government and the civil and
military authorities have done to make my visit such a memorable and successful
one.
As I depart your shores, like many pilgrims before me I am
reminded again of how the Mediterranean is made up of a rich m osaic of peoples
with their distinctive cultures and their beauty, their warmth and their
humanity. In spite of that reality, the Eastern Mediterranean is at the same
time no stranger to conflict and bloodshed, as we have tragically witnessed in
recent days. Let us all redouble our efforts to build a real and lasting peace
for all the peoples of the region.
Together with that general objective, Cyprus can play a particular
role in promoting dialogue and cooperation. Striving patiently for the peace of
your own hearths and for the prosperity of your neighbours, you will then be
well placed to hear and understand all sides of many complex issues, and to
help peoples to come to a greater understanding of one another. The path that
you are taking, Mr President, is one which the international community looks to
with great interest and hope, and I note with satisfaction all the efforts that
have been made to favour peace for your people and for the whole island of
Cyprus.
As I give thanks to God for these days which saw the first
encounter of the Catholic community in Cyprus with the Successor of Peter on
their own soil, I also recall with gratitude my meetings with other Christian
leaders, in particular with His Beatitude Chrysostomos the Second and the other
representatives of the Church of Cyprus, whom I thank for their brotherly
welcome. I hope that my visit here will be seen as another step along the path
that was opened up before us by the embrace in Jerusalem of the late Patriarch
Athenagoras and my venerable predecessor Pope Paul the Sixth. Their first
prophetic steps together show us the road that we too must tread. We have a
divine call to be brothers, walking side by side in the faith, humble before
almighty God, and with unbreakable bonds of affection for one another. As I
invite my fellow Christians to continue this journey, I would assure them that
the Catholic Church, with the Lord’s grace, will herself pursue the goal of
perfect unity in charity through an ever deepening appreciation of what Catholics
and Orthodox hold dearest.
Let me also express again my sincere hope and prayer that,
together, Christians and Muslims will become a leaven for peace and
reconciliation among Cypriots and serve as an example to other countries.
Finally, Mr President, let me encourage you and your Government in
your high responsibilities. As you well know, among your most important tasks
is that of assuring the peace and security of all Cypriots. Having stayed these
past nights in the Apostolic Nunciature, which happens to be in the United
Nations buffer zone, I have seen for myself something of the sad division of
the island, as well as learning of the loss of a significant part of a cultural
heritage which belongs to all humanity. I have also listened to Cypriots from
the north who wish to return in peace to their homes and places of worship, and
I have been deeply moved by their pleas. Surely truth and reconciliati on,
together with respect, are the soundest foundation for the united and peaceful
future of this island, and for the stability and prosperity of all her people.
Much good has been achieved in this regard through substantive dialogue in
recent years, though much remains to be done to overcome divisions. Let me
encourage you and your fellow citizens to work patiently and steadfastly with
your neighbours to build a better and more certain future for all your
children. As you do so, be assured of my prayers for the peace of all Cyprus.
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