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Pope, Patriarch appeal for unity
Athens News Agency, Greece
ROME (ANA-MPA - A. Kourkoulas) Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I
on Sunday joined Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican basilica, where he
delivered the homily at a Mass for the feasts of Saints Peter and
Paul, the patronal feast of the Rome diocese. The service, which also
marks the start of the Catholic Church's Pauline Jubilee Year,
culminated with a joint appeal by Pope and Patriarch to strive for
the unity of their two Churches.
The Mass also included other gestures of great symbolic
significance, such as when Bartholomew joined Pope Benedict in
reciting the Nicene Creed and when they delivered the final blessing
together.
Bartholomew had earlier attended the Vespers service in Rome's
St. Paul's Basilica Outside the Walls on Saturday evening, where the
Pope proclaimed the start of the Pauline Year and hoped that the
celebration of the 2000th birth anniversary of St. Paul the Apostle
will help all Christians to renew their ecumenical duty and intensify
common initiatives in the path to full communion.
Patriarch Bartholomew, who is taking part in services for the
Vatican's patronal feast day for the second time, was warmly
applauded by the congregation in St. Peter's basilica and the
faithful gathered outside in St. Peter's Square. He spoke in Italian,
stressing both the significance of the feast day but also of his own
participation in the services.
Bartholomew had entered the packed basilica surrounded by a
delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople, where
Pope Benedict was waiting to receive him. The two Church leaders then
mounted a specially constructed altar in the centre of St. Peter's
where they conducted the Mass.
The Patriarch then moved to another part of the basilica, from
where he watched Pope Benedict deliver the Holy Eucharist, rejoining
him for the remainder of the service.
During their sermon to the faithful, Patriarch Bartholomew and
Pope Benedict stressed a message of unity of all Christians and the
progress made in the dialogue begun more than 60 years ago by
Ecumenical Patriarch Athinagoras and Pope John II.
These issues were also discussed during a private meeting between
the Pope and Patriarch in the Vatican, as well as a meeting between
the two official delegations. During these talks, the two sides
presented new ideas for future initiatives that will improve on the
progress already made, sources within the Patriarchal delegation
said.