Pope to Patriarch Bartholomew: Church unity requires bold steps
In a letter to Patriarch Bartholomew, Pope Francis explained why he had presented the Phanar with relics of the Holy Apostle Peter.
On September 13, 2019, Pope Francis stated in a letter to Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople that unity between the Churches would require more decisive steps toward that goal, Vatican News reports.
In particular, the Pope said, "Reflecting on our mutual determination to pursue full communion together, I thanked God for the progress made since our venerable predecessors met in Jerusalem fifty years ago."
The Pope recalled an icon that Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople had presented to Pope Paul VI on the occasion of that meeting – an icon depicting the brothers Peter and Andrew embracing, united by faith and love for the same Lord.
The head of the Roman Catholic Church described the icon as "a prophetic symbol of the visible communion between our Churches, which we seek, for which we fervently pray, and toward which we work."
The Pope expressed his conviction that the idea of presenting relics of the Apostle Peter to the Church of Constantinople "came from the Holy Spirit, who in various ways inspires Christians to restore the full communion for which our Lord Jesus Christ prayed on the eve of His Passion (cf. John 17:21)."
According to the head of the Vatican, the gesture affirmed the path of rapprochement between the two Churches – a path that is "sometimes demanding and difficult" but is also "accompanied by signs of God's grace."
He emphasized that "continuing along this path requires, above all, spiritual conversion and new, courageous steps."
At the conclusion of his letter, Pope Francis asked Patriarch Bartholomew for his blessing and offered him a "fraternal embrace of peace."
Earlier, the UOJ reported that Archbishop Job (Getcha) of Telmessos had described the relics of the Apostle Peter presented by Pope Francis to the Patriarchate of Constantinople as a "prophetic sign" pointing toward the future unity of the Churches.
