Pope to the Head of Phanar: We are strongly committed to visible communion

The head of the RCC noted that he longs for complete unity with Phanar despite the fact that theological and ecclesiological issues are still at the center of their theological dialogue

On November 30, 2021, Pope Francis called on the Patriarch of Constantinople to make the communion between Catholics and Orthodox Christians visible, reports vaticannews.va.

The Roman pontiff sent a message to Patriarch Bartholomew on the occasion of the feast of St. Andrew the First-Called not just because of the “fraternal friendship”, but because of the "ancient and deep bonds of faith and love between the Roman Church and the Church of Constantinople."

Francis noted that during the last visit of Patriarch Bartholomew to Rome “we were able not only to share our concerns for the present and for the future of the world, but also to express a shared commitment on the issues of crucial importance for our entire human family, such as caring for creation, educating future generations, dialogue between different religious traditions and the search for peace.”

The pontiff noted that Rome and Constantinople “have a common faith in the Lord, Who gives life, Who brings differences into consonance without destroying them. United in this faith, we are determined to make our communion visible.”

“Even recognizing that theological and ecclesiological issues still remain at the center of our ongoing theological dialogue, I hope that Catholics and Orthodox will be able to work even more together in those areas where this is not only possible, but also becomes an imperative,” wrote Pope Francis.

He also emphasized that “the complete unity we are longing for is definitely a gift from God through the grace of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord help us to be ready to embrace this gift through prayer, inner conversion and willingness to seek and grant forgiveness,” summed up the head of the RCC.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that in the opinion of Patriarch Bartholomew, the dialogue with the RCC has enriched Orthodox ecclesiology.

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