Pope Wants Common Celebration of the Eucharist With the Orthodox

Meeting in Rome for the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul with Constantinople Delegation - Thanks to Metropolitan Zizioulas, because he had come together with other church representatives for the presentation of the Eco-Encyclical "Laudato si"

Vatican City (kath.net/KAP) Pope Francis has recently has emphasized that a common celebration of the Eucharist is a common goal of ecumenical dialogue at a meeting with an official delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, headed by the retired Titular Metropoliten of Pergamon, Ioannis Zizioulas. This goal is one of his main concerns, Francis stressed at the meeting with the delegation from Constantinople that - as it happens on every year for the last 47 years, come to the feast of Saints Peter and Paul on 29 June, the Patron Saint of the Church of Rome, to the Tiber.

Pope Francis said that the meetings with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I at the Andreas Festival last November has provided the opportunity to "work together to praise God and to pray that soon the day will come when the full visible unity between Orthodox and Catholics will be restored." He expressly thanked Metropolitan Zizioulas that he had come to Rome on behalf of Patriarch Bartholomew to be present together with other Church representatives at the public presentation of the encyclical "Laudato si". It was the first time that a papal encyclical was also presented by an orthodox bishop.

The opportunities to meet, exchange and experience cooperation between Catholics and Orthodox should multiply, such is the view expressed in the Pope's expectations. Through mutual understanding and respect many prejudices and misunderstandings could be overcome. At the same time the remaining difficulties should, "in truth, but in a spirit of fraternity", be overcome.

In this context, Francis praised the "valuable work of the International Mixed Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic and Orthodox Church." The "Drafting Committee" of this Commission had met on Thursday in Rome. The problems that come up on the train of theological dialogue, should not lead to discouragement and resignation, the Pope said. He specifically stressed that a "careful study" on the principle of synodality and on the "service of the principals in love" will deliver a "significant contribution to the advancement of relations" between the two Churches.

The Pope prays for Pan-Orthodox Synod

Pope Francis promised his intense prayer and of all Catholics for the success of the scheduled 2016 Pan-Orthodox Synod in Constantinople. At the same time the Pope asked his Orthodox guests for prayers for the upcoming October Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Synod of Bishops, which will be devoted to family.

Metropolitan Zizioulas gave the pope when a message of the Ecumenical Patriarch, in which Bartholomew I stressed the significance of theological dialogue and the work of the International Mixed Commission for Theological Dialogue. Three Catholic and Orthodox members consisting of a "Drafting Committee" of the International Commission for Theological Dialogue, are editing a document on Thursday in Rome foreseen to be completed for September, "Towards the Understanding of Synodality and Primacy in the Church of the First Millenium." Orthodox representatives had expressed reservations about the draft in Amman. The "Drafting Committee" now had the task of taking into account the objections of the Orthodox side. The revised draft is to be submitted in September the "Coordinating Committee" of the International Commission for Theological Dialogue, which then decides on further procedure. Among the participants of the meeting of the "Drafting Commitee" in the preceding week alongside Zizioulas, was also the head of the Foreign Ministry of Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev. He met the same day with the Italian President Sergio Mattarella, which involved a longer conversation. The meeting was also attended by the Russian ambassador in Rome, Sergei Razov, in part.

Metropolitan Hilarion stressed that he was representing the Russian Orthodox Church toward making "good and constructive" relations with Italy, a "country with deep Christian roots", a priority. President Mattarella paid tribute to the Moscow Patriarchate in the ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue. He was convinced that the Orthodox Church could also make a significant contribution for a "peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine." Copyright 2015 Catholic press agency Kathpress, Vienna, Austria

You can compare this report to the one at the Vatican website. Did they even experience the same event?

Link to Kath.net...
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
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