Following
the Ecumenical Celebration held on Tuesday morning, 18 January, at the Basilica
of St Paul-Outside-the-Walls, the Holy Father went to the Benedictine Abbey
attached to the basilica for a luncheon with the members of the delegations from
various Churches and Ecclesial Communities that had participated in the service.
The Benedictine community of St Paul's hosted the gathering, At the end of the
fraternal meal the Pope expressed his gratitude to all the delegations and to
the Benedictine monks. Here is a translation of his greetings, which were given
in Italian.
I would like once again to thank the Lord who has enabled us to spend this
important ecumenical day together. After meeting this morning to pray in St
Paul's Basilica, we are gathered round this festive table for a pleasant,
fraternal agape. I express my deepest gratitude to each of you, venerable and
dear Brothers.
I specifically thank:
葉he Delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, representing His
Holiness Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch;
葉he Delegation from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, representing
His Beatitude Petros VII, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria and All
Africa;
葉he Delegation from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch,
representing
His Beatitude Ignace IV Hazim, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the
East;
the Delegation from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem,
representing
His Beatitude Diodoros, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem;
葉he Delegation from the Patriarchate of Moscow, representing His
Holiness Alexei II, Patriarch of Moscow and All the Russias;
葉he Delegation from the Patriarchate of Serbia, representing His
Beatitude Pavle, Serbian Patriarch;
葉he Delegation from the Orthodox Patriarchate of Romania,
representing
His Beatitude Teoctist, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church;
葉he Delegation from the Orthodox Church of Greece, representing His
Beatitude Christodoulos, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece;
葉he Delegation from the Orthodox Church of Poland, representing His
Beatitude Sawa, Orthodox Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland,
葉he Delegation from the Orthodox Church of Albania, representing His
Beatitude Anastas Archbishop of Tirana and All Albania;
葉he Delegation from the Orthodox Church of Finland, in the person of
the Archbishop of Karelia and All Finland;
葉he Delegation from the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria,
representing
His Holiness Shenouda III, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St
Mark,
葉he Delegation from the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch,
representing
His Beatitude Mar Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, Syrian Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch
and All the East,
葉he Delegation from the Armenian Apostolic Church, representing His
Holiness Karekin Il, Catholicos and Supreme Patriarch of All Armenians, I
also remember his predecessor, Karekin I;
葉he Delegation from the Catholicosate of Cilicia for Armenians
(Atchas,
Lebanon), representing His Holiness Aram 1, Catholicos of
Cilicia,
葉he Delegation from the Assyrian Church of the East, representing His
Holiness Mar Dinkha IV, Catholicos and Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the
East;
葉he Delegation from the Anglican Communion, in the person of the
Archbishop of Canterbury;
And lastly, the Delegations from:
葉he Old Catholic Church誘nion of Utrecht;
葉he Lutheran World Federation;
葉he World Methodist Council;
葉he Disciples of Christ;
葉he Pentecostal Church;
葉he World Council of Churches.
Lastly, I thank the Abbot General , the Abbot and the monastic Community of
St Paul, who have generously offered us hospitality, arranging everything with
the utmost care for the success of our meeting today. I invoke God's protection
and blessing upon each and every one, as I recall that it was in St Paul's
Basilica that John XXIII announced the Second Vatican Council.
|