Pope Francis in Armenia: May we hasten to Christian
unity
(Vatican Radio) On the
last day of his three day visit to Armenia, Pope Francis participated Sunday in
the Divine Liturgy celebrated by his Oriental Orthodox host, Catholicos of all
Armenians Karekin II. In a discourse at the conclusion of the celebration, Pope
Francis spoke of his “already unforgettable” visit and prayed that the two
Churches “follow God’s call to full communion and hasten to it.”
Thanking Catholicos Karekin
for his hospitality, Pope Francis said, “you have opened to me the doors of
your home and we have experienced ‘how good and pleasant it is when brothers
live in unity’.”
“We have met, we have
embraced as brothers, we have prayed together and shared the gifts, hopes and
concerns of the Church of Christ. We have felt as one her beating heart,
and we believe and experience that the Church is one,” Pope
Francis said.
Citing Saints Bartholomew and
Thaddeus “who first proclaimed the Gospel in these lands” and “Saints Peter and
Paul who gave their lives for the Lord in Rome,” the pontiff said they
“surely rejoice to see our affection and our tangible longing for full
communion.”
Francis prayed the Holy
Spirit to “make all believers one heart and soul; may he come to re-establish
us in unity” and, “may the cause of our scandal be dissolved” by God’s love,
“above all the lack of unity among Christ’s disciples.”
Calling for peace in the
Armenian Church and “complete” communion, Pope Francis prayed for “an ardent
desire for unity” among Christians. But such unity, he stressed, must not
mean “the submission of one to the other, or assimilation, but rather the
acceptance of all the gifts that God has given to each.”
Concluding, Pope Francis
urged the faithful to “listen to the voices of the humble and poor, of the many
victims of hatred who suffered and gave their lives for the faith” and to young
people “who seek a future free of past divisions.”
From this holy place, the
Pope said, “may a radiant light shine forth once more… and to the light of
faith which has illumined these lands from the time of Saint Gregory…may there
be joined the light of the love that forgives and reconciles.”
Below, please find the
English translation of Pope Francis’ discourse:
Your Holiness, Dear Bishops,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
At the end of this greatly-desired visit, one already unforgettable for me, I
join my gratitude to the Lord with the great hymn of praise and thanksgiving
that rose from this altar. Your Holiness, in these days you have opened
to me the doors of your home, and we have experienced “how good and pleasant it
is when brothers live in unity” (Ps 133:1). We have met, we
have embraced as brothers, we have prayed together and shared the gifts, hopes
and concerns of the Church of Christ. We have felt as one her beating
heart, and we believe and experience that the Church is one.
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope… one
Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all
and through all and in all” (Eph 4:4-6). With great joy we
can make our own these words of the Apostle Paul! Our meeting comes under
the aegis of the holy Apostles whom we have encountered. Saints
Bartholomew and Thaddeus, who first proclaimed the Gospel in these lands, and
Saints Peter and Paul who gave their lives for the Lord in Rome and now reign
with Christ in heaven, surely rejoice to see our affection and our tangible
longing for full communion. For all this, I thank the Lord, for you and
with you: Park astutsò! (Glory to God!).
During this Divine Liturgy, the solemn chant of the Trisagion rose to heaven,
acclaiming God’s holiness. May abundant blessings of the Most High fill
the earth through the intercession of the Mother of God, the great saints and
doctors, the martyrs, especially the many whom you canonized last year in this
place. May “the Only Begotten who descended here” bless our journey.
May the Holy Spirit make all believers one heart and soul; may he come to re-establish
us in unity. For this I once more invoke the Holy Spirit, making my
own the splendid words that are part of your Liturgy. Come, Holy Spirit,
you “who intercede with ceaseless sighs to the merciful Father, you who watch
over the saints and purify sinners”, bestow on us your fire of love and unity,
and “may the cause of our scandal be dissolved by this love” (Gregory of Narek, Book
of Lamentations, 33, 5), above all the lack of unity among Christ’s
disciples.
May the Armenian Church walk in peace and may the communion between us be
complete. May an ardent desire for unity rise up in our hearts, a unity
that must not be “the submission of one to the other, or assimilation, but
rather the acceptance of all the gifts that God has given to each. This
will reveal to the entire world the great mystery of salvation accomplished by
Christ the Lord through the Holy Spirit” (Greeting at the Divine Liturgy,
Patriarchal Church of Saint George, Istanbul, 30 November 2014).
Let us respond to the appeal of the saints, let us listen to the voices of the
humble and poor, of the many victims of hatred who suffered and gave their
lives for the faith. Let us pay heed to the younger generation, who seek
a future free of past divisions. From this holy place may a radiant light
shine forth once more, and to the light of faith, which has illumined these
lands from the time of Saint Gregory, your Father in the Gospel, may there be
joined the light of the love that forgives and reconciles.
Just as on Easter morning the Apostles, for all their hesitations and
uncertainties, ran towards the place of the resurrection, drawn by the blessed
dawn of new hope (cf. Jn20:3-4), so too on this holy Sunday may we
follow God’s call to full communion and hasten towards it.
Now, Your Holiness, in the name of God, I ask you to bless me, to bless me and
the Catholic Church, and to bless this our path towards full unity.
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