This is the address Benedict XVI delivered
today during an ecumenical celebration at the archeological area of the Church
of Agia Kiriaki Chrysopolitiss.
* * *
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
“Grace and peace to you in abundance” (1 Pet 1:2). With great joy I
salute you who represent the Christian communities present in Cyprus.
I thank His Beatitude Chrysostomos the Second for his gracious words of
welcome, His Eminence Georgios, the Metropolitan of Paphos, our host, and all
those who have helped to make this meeting possible. I am also pleased
cordially to salute the Christians of other confessions present, including
those of the Armenian , Lutheran and Anglican communities.
It is truly an extraordinary grace for us to gather together in prayer in this
Church of Agia Kiriaki Chrysopolitissa. We have just heard a reading from the
Acts of the Apostles which reminds us that Cyprus was the first stage in the
missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul (cf. Acts 13:1-4). Set apart by the Holy
Spirit, Paul, accompanied by Barnabas, a native of Cyprus, and Mark, the future
evangelist, first came to Salamis, where they began to proclaim the word of God
in the synagogues. Traversing the island, they reached Paphos where, close to
this very place, they preached in the presence of the Roman pro-consul Sergius
Paulus. Thus it was from this place that the Gospel message began to spread
throughout the Empire, and the Church, grounded in the apostolic preaching, was
able to take root throughout the then-known world.
The Church in Cyprus can rightly be proud of her direct links to the preaching
of Paul, Barnab as and Mark, and her communion in the apostolic faith, a
communion which links her to all those Churches who preserve that same rule of
faith. This is the communion, real yet imperfect, which already unites us, and
which impels us to overcome our divisions and to strive for the restoration of
that full visible unity which is the Lord’s will for all his followers. For, in
Paul’s words, “there is one body and one spirit, just as you were called
to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Eph
4:4-5).
The Church’s communion in the apostolic faith is both a gift and a summons to
mission. In the passage from Acts which we have heard, we see an image of the
Church’s unity in prayer, and her openness to the promptings of the Spirit of
mission. Like Paul and Barnabas, every Christian, by baptism, is set apart to
bear prophetic witness to the Risen Lord and to his Gospel of reconciliation,
mercy and peace. In this context, the Special Assembly for the Middle East of
the Synod of Bishops, due to meet in Rome next October, will reflect on the
vital role of Christians in the region, encourage them in their witness to the
Gospel, and help foster greater dialogue and cooperation between Christians
throughout the region. Significantly, the labours of the Synod will be enriched
by the presence of fraternal delegates from other Churches and Christian
communities in the region, as a sign of our common commitment to the service of
God’s word and our openness to the power of his reconciling grace.
The unity of all Christ’s disciples is a gift to be implored from the Father in
the hope that it will strengthen the witness to the Gospel in today’s world.
The Lord prayed for the holiness and unity of his disciples precisely so that
the world might believe (cf. Jn 17:21). Just a hundred years ago, at the
Edinburgh Missionary Conference, the acute awareness that divisions between
Christ ians were an obstacle to the spread of the Gospel gave birth to the
modern ecumenical movement. Today we can be grateful to the Lord, who through
his Spirit has led us, especially in these last decades, to rediscover the rich
apostolic heritage shared by East and West, and in patient and sincere dialogue
to find ways of drawing closer to one another, overcoming past controversies,
and looking to a better future.
The Church in Cyprus, which serves as a bridge between East and West, has
contributed much to this process of reconciliation. The path leading to the
goal of full communion will certainly not be without its difficulties, yet the
Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church of Cyprus are committed to advancing in
the way of dialogue and fraternal cooperation. May the Holy Spirit enlighten
our minds and strengthen our resolve, so that together we can bring the message
of salvation to the men and women of our time, who thirst for the truth that
brings authentic freedom and salvation (cf. Jn 8:32), the truth whose name is Jesus
Christ!
Dear sisters and brothers, I cannot conclude without evoking the memory of the
saints who have adorned the Church in Cyprus, and in particular Saint
Epiphanius, Bishop of Salamis. Sanctity is the sign of the fullness of
Christian life, a profound inner docility to the Holy Spirit who calls us to
constant conversion and renewal as we strive to be ever more conformed to
Christ our Saviour. Conversion and holiness are also the privileged means by
which we open our minds and hearts to the Lord’s will for the unity of his
Church. As we give thanks for this meeting and for the fraternal affection
which unites us, let ask Saints Barnabas and Epiphanius, Saints Peter and Paul,
and all God’s holy ones, to bless our communities, to preserve us in the faith
of the Apostles, and to guide our steps along the way of unity, charity and
peace.
© Copyright 2010 — Libreria Editrice Vaticana