Ὁμιλία τῆς Α. Θ. Παναγιότητος τοῦ Οἰκουμενικοῦ Πατριάρχου κ. κ. Βαρθολομαίου
κατὰ τὴν Θρονικὴν Ἑορτὴν τοῦ Οἰκουμενικοῦ Πατριαρχείου
(30 Νοεμβρίου 2008)
Σεβασμιώτατε Καρδινάλιε κύριε Walter Kasper, ἐκπρόσωπε τῆς Α. Ἁγιότητος τοῦ Πάπα καὶ Ἐπισκόπου Ρώμης κυρίου Βενεδίκτου τοῦ 16ου, μετὰ τῆς τιμίας ὑμῶν συνοδείας,
Μετὰ πολλῆς ἐν Κυρίῳ χαρᾶς καὶ ἀγαλλιάσεως χαιρετίζομεν τὴν παρουσίαν καὶ συμμετοχὴν ὑμῶν καὶ εἰς τὸν ἐφετεινὸν ἑορτασμὸν τῆς ἱερᾶς μνήμης τοῦ Ἁγίου ἐνδόξου Ἀποστόλου Ἀνδρέου τοῦ Πρωτοκλήτου, ἱδρυτοῦ τῆς καθ' ἡμᾶς ἁγιωτάτης Ἐκκλησίας Κωνσταντινουπόλεως. Εὐχαριστοῦμεν ἀπὸ καρδίας τὸν λίαν ἀγαπητὸν ἡμῖν ἀδελφὸν Προκαθήμενον τῆς ἐν Ρώμῃ ἁγιωτάτης Ἐκκλησίας κύριον Βενέδικτον, διότι ἠγαθύνθη νὰ ἀποστείλῃ ὑμᾶς ἐνταῦθα, κομιστὰς τοῦ ἀδελφικοῦ αὐτοῦ μηνύματος αἰσθημάτων ἀγάπης καὶ τιμῆς, ἅτινα καὶ ἀνταποδίδομεν ἀπὸ μέσης καρδίας, εὐχόμενοι αὐτῷ καὶ τῇ ἁγιωτάτῃ ἀδελφῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ Ρώμης πᾶσαν ἀπὸ Θεοῦ εὐλογίαν καὶ χάριν.
Κατέστη ἤδη ἀπὸ δεκαετιῶν ἔθος ἱερὸν ἡ ἀνταλλαγὴ ἐπισκέψεων ἀντιπροσωπειῶν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ἡμῶν κατὰ τὰς θρονικὰς ἑορτὰς ἀλλήλων. Οἱ ἀοίδιμοι Προκαθήμενοι τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ἡμῶν Πατριάρχης Ἀθηναγόρας καὶ Παῦλος ὁ Στ' καθιέρωσαν τὸ πρῶτον τὸ ἔθος τοῦτο ἐμφορούμενοι ὑπὸ τῆς ζωηρᾶς ἐπιθυμίας ὅπως αἱ Ἐκκλησίαι ἡμῶν, ἐπὶ χιλιετίαν ὅλην ἐν διαστάσει καὶ ἐνίοτε ἐν ὀξείᾳ ἀντιθέσει, ὡς μὴ ὤφελε, διατελοῦσαι, εἰσέλθωσιν εἰς περίοδον διαλόγου ἀγάπης καὶ ἀληθείας ,ἐπὶ τῷ τέλει τῆς ἀποκαταστάσεως τῆς ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ μ. Χ. χιλιετίᾳ πλήρους αὐτῶν ἑνότητος. Ὑπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς ζωηρᾶς ἐπιθυμίας διακατεχόμενοι καὶ οἱ σήμερον ἐμπεπιστευμένοι ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐλέους τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἡγεσίαν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ἡμῶν συνεχίζομεν τὸν διττὸν τοῦτον διάλογον, τῆς ἀγάπης δηλονότι καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας, ἐναποθέτοντες τὴν ἔκβασιν αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ Πανάγιον Πνεῦμα, τὸ ὁδηγοῦν «εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν» (Ἰω. 16, 13) καὶ εἰς τὸν μόνον αὐξάνοντα τὸν σπόρον ἡμῶν Θεόν (Α' Κορ. 3, 6-7).
Τὴν πορείαν τοῦ διττοῦ τούτου Διαλόγου ἀνυστάκτως καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἱεροῦ τούτου Κέντρου παρακολουθοῦντες, χαίρομεν καὶ συγχαίρομεν ἐπὶ τῇ αἰσίᾳ συνεχίσει καὶ προόδῳ αὐτοῦ, τοῦ μὲν διαλόγου τῆς ἀγάπης ἀποκαθαίροντος τὰς σχέσεις ἡμῶν ἐκ πάσης προσηλυτιστικῆς ἢ ἄλλης ἐνεργείας ἀντικειμένης εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀμοιβαίου σεβασμοῦ καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης, τοῦ δὲ διαλόγου τῆς ἀληθείας συνεχίζοντος διὰ τῆς ἐπὶ τοῦτο συσταθείσης Μικτῆς Διεθνοῦς Ἐπιτροπῆς τὸ δυσχερὲς καὶ ἐπίπονον ἔργον αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ τὴν συμπροεδρείαν καὶ τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγαπητῆς Σεβασμιότητος, τὴν ὁποίαν καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ συγχαίρομεν καὶ εὐχαριστοῦμεν.
Κατὰ τὴν ἀνάγνωσιν τῆς ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ Εὐαγγελίου τοῦ Ἰωάννου περικοπῆς – κατὰ τὴν τελεσθεῖσαν σήμερον Θείαν Λειτουργίαν – ἠκούσαμεν πόσον ἰσχυρὸς ὑπῆρξεν ὁ μετὰ τοῦ Κυρίου δεσμὸς τῶν αὐταδέλφων Μαθητῶν Ἀνδρέου καὶ Πέτρου. Ἀφοῦ διῆλθε μετ' ἄλλου τινὸς μαθητοῦ, πιθανῶς τοῦ Ἰωάννου, μίαν ὁλόκληρον ἡμέραν συνομιλῶν καὶ ἀναστρεφόμενος μετὰ τοῦ Κυρίου εἰς τὸ κατάλυμα Αὐτοῦ – ὁποῖον, ἀληθῶς, καὶ ὄντως μέγα προνόμιον! – ὁ Ἀνδρέας σπεύδει νὰ ἀναγγείλῃ εἰς τὸν Πέτρον μετὰ χαρᾶς ὅτι «εὑρήκαμεν τὸν Μεσσίαν», καὶ νὰ παρουσιάσῃ αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν Κύριον. Ἡ σκηνὴ εἶναι ὄντως συγκλονιστικὴ καὶ ἀποφασιστικῆς σημασίας, δι' ὅσα θὰ ἠκολούθουν εἰς τὸ μέλλον. Πέτρος καὶ Ἀνδρέας, ἀδελφοὶ κατὰ σάρκα, κατέστησαν τὴν στιγμὴν ἐκείνην καὶ ἀδελφοὶ ἐν Χριστῷ, ἑνωθέντες τόσον μετ' Αὐτοῦ ὅσον καὶ μετ' ἀλλήλων διὰ δεσμῶν ἀκαταλύτων.
Ὅτε δὲ μετὰ τὴν εἰς οὐρανοὺς Ἀνάληψιν τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ τὴν ἐπιφοίτησιν τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς Πεντηκοστῆς ἐξῆλθον εὐαγγελιζόμενοι τοὺς λαοὺς καθιστάμενοι μάρτυρες τοῦ Ἀναστάντος Χριστοῦ, ὁ μὲν Πέτρος ἔφθασε μέχρι Ρώμης καθαγιάσας διὰ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐκεῖ Ἐκκλησίαν, ὁ δὲ Ἀνδρέας διῆλθε, κατὰ τὴν ἀρχαίαν παράδοσιν, ἐκ Βυζαντίου, ἱδρύσας τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ἐν τῷ τόπῳ, ὅστις ἐπρόκειτο ἀργότερον, θείᾳ προνοίᾳ, νὰ καταστῇ ἡ Νέα Ρώμη, ἡ Πόλις τοῦ Κωνσταντίνου. Οὕτως οἱ δύο ἀδελφοί, Πέτρος καὶ Ἀνδρέας, καίτοι ἠκολούθησαν διάφορον γεωγραφικῶς πορείαν ἐν τῇ μαρτυρίᾳ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου, παρέμειναν ἡνωμένοι ἐν τῇ ἱστορίᾳ διὰ τοῦ δεσμοῦ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ἡμῶν, Ρώμης καὶ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως.
Τὸν σύνδεσμον τοῦτον μεταξὺ τῶν δύο Ἀποστόλων, ὅστις ἐκκινεῖ ὡς βιολογικὸς δεσμός, διὰ νὰ καταστῇ δεσμὸς πνευματικὸς ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ καταλήξῃ ὡς δεσμὸς Ἐκκλησιῶν, καλούμεθα νὰ ἔχωμεν ἀδιαλείπτως κατὰ νοῦν, καθὼς πορευόμεθα πρὸς τὴν ἀποκατάστασιν τῆς πλήρους ἑνότητος τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ἡμῶν. Τιμῶντες σήμερον τὸν Ἀπόστολον Ἀνδρέαν τιμῶμεν συγχρόνως καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ Πέτρον. Καὶ ὡς δὲν εἶναι δυνατὸν ὁ Πέτρος καὶ ὁ Ἀνδρέας νὰ νοηθοῦν κεχωρισμένοι ἀπ' ἀλλήλων, οὕτω δὲν εἶναι ἐπιτρεπτὸν αἱ Ἐκκλησίαι Ρώμης καὶ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως νὰ συνεχίσουν πορευόμεναι ἐν διαιρέσει.
Ὀφείλομεν, ὅθεν, νὰ ἄρωμεν ἐκ τοῦ μέσου ἡμῶν τὰς συσωρευθείσας ἐπὶ μίαν χιλιετίαν ἀκάνθας εἰς τὰς σχέσεις τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ἡμῶν, τόσον εἰς ζητήματα πίστεως, ὅσον καὶ εἰς θέματα ἁπτόμενα τῆς δομῆς καὶ διοικήσεως τῆς Ἐκκλησίας. Εἰς τοῦτο ἔχομεν πολύτιμον ὁδηγὸν τὴν κοινὴν ἡμῶν παράδοσιν τῶν ἑπτὰ Οἰκουμενικῶν Συνόδων καὶ τῆς πρώτης μ. Χ. χιλιετίας, ἐκ τῆς ὁποίας θὰ ἀντλήσωμεν τὰς βασικὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰ κριτήρια, διὰ τῶν ὁποίων θὰ ἀποκαθάρωμεν ὅσα ἡ χιλιετία τῆς ἀπ' ἀλλήλων ἀποξενώσεως ἡμῶν συνεσώρευσεν ἐπιτείνουσα τὴν μεταξὺ ἡμῶν ἀπόστασιν.
Εἰς τοῦτο καλούμεθα ὄχι μόνον, ὡς προείπομεν, ἐκ σεβασμοῦ πρὸς τὴν ἱερὰν μνήμην τῶν δύο Πρωτοκλήτων Ἀποστόλων, ἐκ τῶν ὁποίων ἀντλοῦν τὴν ὑπόστασιν αὐτῶν αἱ Ἐκκλησίαι ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ χρέους ἡμῶν ἔναντι τοῦ συγχρόνου κόσμου, ὁ ὁποῖος, σπαρασσόμενος ὑπὸ ποικίλων συγκρούσεων, ἔχει κατεπείγουσαν ἀνάγκην τοῦ μηνύματος τῆς καταλλαγῆς, τὸ ὁποῖον ἔφερεν ὁ Ἱδρυτὴς τῆς Ἐκκλησίας διὰ τοῦ Σταυροῦ καὶ τῆς Ἀναστάσεώς Του. Εἶναι προφανὲς ὅτι ἐὰν τὸ μήνυμα τοῦτο δὲν γίνῃ σεβαστὸν ὑφ' ἡμῶν τῶν ἰδίων τῶν χριστιανῶν, ἡ ἐπίδρασις αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν σύγχρονον ἄνθρωπον θὰ παραμένῃ δυσχερής. Ἡ Ἐκκλησία ὀφείλει νὰ εἶναι πάντοτε εἰς θέσιν νὰ ἐπαναλαμβάνῃ πρὸς πάντας τοὺς λόγους τοῦ Φιλίππου πρὸς τὸν Ναθαναήλ, τοὺς ὁποίους ἠκούσαμεν σήμερον εἰς τὴν εὐαγγελικὴν περικοπήν: «ἔρχου καὶ ἴδε» (Ἰω. 1, 47). Τότε μόνον ὁ λόγος της θὰ εἶναι πειστικός, ὅταν δύναται νὰ δώσῃ, πρώτη ἐκείνη, τὸ παράδειγμα τῆς καταλλαγῆς καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης.
Ἐν τῷ πνεύματι τούτῳ καὶ μετὰ τοιούτων σκέψεων καὶ αἰσθημάτων χαιρετίζομεν καὶ πάλιν τὴν ἐν τῷ μέσῳ ἡμῶν παρουσίαν τῆς τιμίας ἀντιπροσωπείας τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τῆς πρεσβυτέρας Ρώμης καὶ τῆς Αὐτοῦ Ἁγιότητος τοῦ Προκαθημένου αὐτῆς προσφιλοῦς ἡμῖν ἀδελφοῦ Πάπα Βενεδίκτου, δεόμενοι τοῦ Κυρίου ὅπως εὐλογήσῃ καὶ κατευθύνῃ τὴν πορείαν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ἡμῶν εἰς τὴν ἐκπλήρωσιν τοῦ ἁγίου Αὐτοῦ θελήματος. Ἀμήν.
GREETING
By His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch BARTHOLOMEW To the Delegation of the Church of Rome At the Thronal Feast of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
(November 30, 2008)
Your Eminence
Cardinal Walter Kasper
Representative of His Holiness Pope Benedict
The Sixteenth, Bishop of Rome
Along with your esteemed entourage
With much joy and jubilation in the Lord we welcome your presence and participation in the annual celebration of the memory of the glorious Saint Andrew the First Called Disciple, founder of our Holy Church of Constantinople. From our heart we thank our very beloved brother Pope Benedict, the head of the Church in Rome, because he was well disposed to send you here, as the bearer of his brotherly message of feelings of love and honor. These feelings we also return from our hearts, wishing him and the holy sister Church of Rome every blessing and grace from God.
Decades ago, a holy practice was established encouraging the visitation of the representatives of our Churches at each other's thronal feasts. The ever-memorable heads of our Churches, Patriarch Athenagoras and Pope Paul VI established the first event. It was animated by the living desire that our Churches which had been separated for a whole millennium and, occasionally, found themselves at opposing positions that were not beneficial, finally came into a period of a dialogue of love and truth. This dialogue would have as its end the full restoration of complete unity, just as in the first millennium after Christ.
Today, those who have been entrusted by the mercy of God with the leadership of our Churches possess this same deep desire to continue this bi-lateral dialogue of love and truth, entrusting the results to the All Holy Spirit, Who leads to "All truth" (John 16:3) and to God Who multiplies our seed (1 Cor. 3:6-7).
Continuing to observe vigilantly from this sacred Center the course of this double dialogue, we rejoice in its continuation and progress. For on the one hand the dialogue of love cleanses our relations from every proselytistic or other activity contradicting the spirit of mutual respect and love, while on the other hand the dialogue of truth, entrusted to the Mixed International Committee, continues its difficult and painful task under the co-presidency of your beloved Eminence, for which we congratulate and thank you.
In today's reading of the Holy Gospel of John during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, we heard how strong the bond was between the Lord and the brothers Andrew and Peter. Since Andrew with an other disciple, most probably John, spent a whole day conversing and remaining with the Lord in his lodgings- what a great privilege indeed! -Andrew hastens and announces to Peter that we have found the Messiah and presents him to the Lord. This scene is indeed moving and of decisive importance for those things which would take place in the future. Peter and Andrew, brothers according to the flesh, at that moment also became brothers in Christ, united not only with Him, but also with one another, by imperishable bonds.
After the Ascension of the Lord into the heavens, and the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, the two Apostles went out evangelizing the peoples, being witnesses of the Resurrected Christ. Peter went as far as Rome, sanctifying the Church there through his blood, and Andrew came, according to the ancient tradition, to Byzantium, founding the Church in that place, which would later, by divine providence, become the New Rome, the City of Constantine. Thus, the two brothers, Peter and Andrew, while they may have followed a separate geographical path in bearing witness to the Gospel, they remained united in history through the bond of our two Churches, Rome and Constantinople.
This union between the two apostles, which started as a biological bond, in order for it to become a spiritual bond in the Lord himself, and concluded as a bond of our Churches, we are called to unceasingly have in mind as we proceed toward the restoration of the full union of our Churches. Today, honoring the Apostle Andrew, we also honor his brother Peter, and just as it is not possible for Peter and Andrew to be thought of separately from one another, it is not proper that the Churches of Rome and Constantinople should continue journeying in division.
We are therefore obligated to remove from our midst the thorns, which have accumulated for a millennium, in the relationships of our Churches in matters of faith as well as in issues touching upon the structure and the government of the Church. In this matter, we have as a most valuable guide our common tradition of the Seven Ecumenical Councils and the first millennium after Christ, from which we will draw out the basic beliefs and criteria in order to remove the things that the millennium of our separation from one another contributed to the accentuation of the distance between us.
To this, we are not only called as we said earlier, out of respect to the sacred memory of the two first called apostles from whom our Churches draw their very being, but also from our responsibility to the contemporary world which is shaken by a variety of conflicts and has an urgent need of the message of reconciliation brought by the Founder of the Church through His Cross and Resurrection. It is evident that if this message it is not respected by us Christians, its influence upon contemporary man shall remain difficult. The Church must always be in the position to repeat to everyone the words of Phillip to Nathaniel, which we heard in today's Gospel passage: "come and see" (John 1:47). Only then will her message be convincing when she is able to give first herself the example of reconciliation and love.
In this spirit, and with these thoughts and feelings, we greet again in our midst the presence of the venerable delegation of the elder sister Church of Rome and His Holiness, her head, our beloved brother Pope Benedict, asking the Lord to bless and direct the course of our Churches to the fulfillment of His holy will. Amen.
