Pope and Catholicos sign joint statement on justice
and peace
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis
and Catholicos Karekin II, leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church on Sunday
signed a common declaration, giving thanks for the progress towards Christian
unity, and appealing for peace in the Middle East and other regions torn apart
by conflict, terrorism and religious persecution.
At the conclusion of a three
day pastoral visit to Armenia, the first country to embrace the Christian
faith, the Pope joined the Patriarch in calling for a peaceful resolution in
neighbouring Nagorno-Karabakh. The declaration also recalls “the extermination
of a million and a half Armenian Christians, in what is generally referred to
as the first genocide of the twentieth century”.
In the statement the two
religious leaders pray for a change of heart in all who commit violence, as
well as imploring leaders of nations to hear the cry of those people “who have
urgent need of bread, not guns”.
They acknowledge all that is
already being done to support victims of violence, but they insist that much
more is needed on the part of political leaders and the international community
to ensure the right of all to live in peace and security, to uphold the rule of
law, to protect religious and ethnic minorities, to combat human trafficking
and smuggling.
Please find below the full
text of the Common Declaration of Pope Francis and Catholicos Karekin II at
Holy Etchmiadzin, Republic of Armenia
Today in Holy Etchmiadzin,
spiritual center of All Armenians, we, Pope Francis and Catholicos of All
Armenians Karekin II raise our minds and hearts in thanksgiving to the Almighty
for the continuing and growing closeness in faith and love between the Armenian
Apostolic Church and the Catholic Church in their common witness to the Gospel
message of salvation in a world torn by strife and yearning for comfort and
hope. We praise the Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for
enabling us to come together in the biblical land of Ararat, which stands as a
reminder that God will ever be our protection and salvation. We are spiritually
gratified to remember that in 2001, on the occasion of the 1700th anniversary
of the proclamation of Christianity as the religion of Armenia, Saint John Paul
II visited Armenia and was a witness to a new page in warm and fraternal
relations between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Catholic Church. We are
grateful that we had the grace of being together, at a solemn liturgy in Saint
Peter’s Basilica in Rome on 12 April 2015, where we pledged our will to
oppose every form of discrimination and violence, and commemorated the victims
of what the Common Declaration of His Holiness John-Paul II and His Holiness Karekin
II spoke of as “the extermination of a million and a half Armenian Christians,
in what is generally referred to as the first genocide of the twentieth
century” (27 September 2001).
We praise the Lord that
today, the Christian faith is again a vibrant reality in Armenia, and that the
Armenian Church carries on her mission with a spirit of fraternal collaboration
between the Churches, sustaining the faithful in building a world of
solidarity, justice and peace.
Sadly, though, we are
witnessing an immense tragedy unfolding before our eyes, of countless innocent
people being killed, displaced or forced into a painful and uncertain exile by
continuing conflicts on ethnic, economic, political and religious grounds in
the Middle East and other parts of the world. As a result, religious and ethnic
minorities have become the target of persecution and cruel treatment, to the
point that suffering for one’s religious belief has become a daily reality. The
martyrs belong to all the Churches and their suffering is an “ecumenism of
blood” which transcends the historical divisions between Christians, calling us
all to promote the visible unity of Christ’s disciples. Together we pray,
through the intercession of the holy Apostles, Peter and Paul, Thaddeus and
Bartholomew, for a change of heart in all those who commit such crimes and
those who are in a position to stop the violence. We implore the leaders of
nations to listen to the plea of millions of human beings who long for peace
and justice in the world, who demand respect for their God-given rights, who
have urgent need of bread, not guns. Sadly, we are witnessing a presentation of
religion and religious values in a fundamentalist way, which is used to justify
the spread of hatred, discrimination and violence. The justification of such
crimes on the basis of religious ideas is unacceptable, for “God is not the
author of confusion, but of peace” (I Corinthians 14:33). Moreover, respect for
religious difference is the necessary condition for the peaceful cohabitation of
different ethnic and religious communities. Precisely because we are
Christians, we are called to seek and implement paths towards reconciliation
and peace. In this regard we also express our hope for a peaceful resolution of
the issues surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh.
Mindful of what Jesus taught
his disciples when he said: “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty
and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and
you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to
me” (Matthew 25: 35-36), we ask the faithful of our Churches to open their
hearts and hands to the victims of war and terrorism, to refugees and their
families. At issue is the very sense of our humanity, our solidarity,
compassion and generosity, which can only be properly expressed in an immediate
practical commitment of resources. We acknowledge all that is already being
done, but we insist that much more is needed on the part of political leaders
and the international community in order to ensure the right of all to live in
peace and security, to uphold the rule of law, to protect religious and ethnic
minorities, to combat human trafficking and smuggling.
The secularization of large
sectors of society, its alienation from the spiritual and divine, leads
inevitably to a desacralized and materialistic vision of man and the human
family. In this respect we are concerned about the crisis of the family in many
countries. The Armenian Apostolic Church and the Catholic Church share the same
vision of the family, based on marriage, an act of freely given and faithful
love between man and woman.
We gladly confirm that
despite continuing divisions among Christians, we have come to realize more
clearly that what unites us is much more than what divides us. This is the
solid basis upon which the unity of Christ’s Church will be made manifest, in
accordance with the Lord’s words, “that they all may be one” (John 17.21). Over
the past decades the relationship between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the
Catholic Church has successfully entered a new phase, strengthened by our
mutual prayers and joint efforts in overcoming contemporary challenges. Today
we are convinced of the crucial importance of furthering this relationship,
engaging in deeper and more decisive collaboration not only in the area of
theology, but also in prayer and active cooperation on the level of the local
communities, with a view to sharing full communion and concrete expressions of
unity. We urge our faithful to work in harmony for the promotion in
society of the Christian values which effectively contribute to building a
civilization of justice, peace and human solidarity. The path of reconciliation
and brotherhood lies open before us. May the Holy Spirit, who guides us into all
truth (cf. John 16:13), sustain every genuine effort to build bridges of love
and communion between us.
From Holy Etchmiadzin we call
on all our faithful to join us in prayer, in the words of Saint Nerses the
Gracious: “Glorified Lord, accept the supplications of Your servants, and
graciously fulfil our petitions, through the intercession of the Holy Mother of
God, John the Baptist, the first martyr Saint Stephen, Saint Gregory our
Illuminator, the Holy Apostles, Prophets, Divines, Martyrs, Patriarchs, Hermits,
Virgins and all Your saints in Heaven and on Earth. And unto You, O indivisible
Holy Trinity, be glory and worship forever and ever. Amen”.
Holy Etchmiadzin, 26 June
2016
His Holiness
Francis
His Holiness Karekin II
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