Church in the World
Pope calls for strong Christian role in Middle East peaceRobert Mickens 12 June 2010
Pope Benedict XVI implored Christians during his historic trip to Cyprus to contribute to peace-building efforts in the Middle East by remaining in the region and making a stronger commitment to ecumenical and interfaith dialogue.
At a Mass last Saturday, the Pope urged priests and Religious across the Middle East not to be tempted to flee the region even though “many family members are taking the decision to move away”. By staying, he said, they offered “an extraordinary sign of hope, for the Christians and for all who live there”.
At a Mass on Sunday in Nicosia, he appealed to the international community for an “urgent and concerted effort” to resolve tensions in the region, especially in the Holy Land, “before such conflicts lead to greater bloodshed”.
The three-day visit marked the first time that a Roman pontiff had visited the Mediterranean island, which has been divided since 1974 between Greek and Turkish rule. The Pope’s main reason for going to Cyprus, which he called a “crossroads of cultures and religions ... standing between Europe, Asia and Africa”, was to release a 40-page working document (instrumentum laboris) that will guide two weeks of discussions during a Middle East synod in October at the Vatican.
However, recent violence between Israelis and Palestinians in the waters off Gaza and the decapitation of the leader of the Catholic Church in Turkey on 3 June, a day before the Pope departed for Cyprus, cast a shadow over his visit. “After all the episodes of violence, we must not lose patience,” the Pope told journalists who accompanied him on the flight. “We must not lose courage, we must not lose the forbearance to start over.” Bishop Luigi Padovese, an Italian Capuchin Franciscan who had been the apostolic vicar of Anatolia (Turkey) since 2004, was stabbed and beheaded by his 26-year-old driver. The Pope insisted the murder was not politically or religiously motivated. “We do not want this tragic situation to become mixed up with dialogue with Islam or with all the issues of our journey,” he said.
Although this was the first time in 15 international journeys that Pope Benedict had visited a predominantly Orthodox country, most of his time was spent with Cyprus’ tiny Catholic community. In the first of four different gatherings with Catholics – many of whom are immigrants from Sri Lanka and the Philippines – he said it was an essential part of the Church’s life and mission to “search for greater unity in charity with other Christians and dialogue with non-Christians”.
“We are called to overcome our differences, to bring peace and reconciliation where there is conflict and offer the world a message of hope,” the Pope said at the final Mass on Sunday, during which he distributed the synod’s working document. “I pray that the work of the special assembly [of the synod] will help to focus the attention of the international community on the plight of those Christians in the Middle East who suffer for their beliefs, so that just and lasting solutions may be found to the conflicts that cause so much hardship,” he said. He noted that, although the minority Christian communities had to endure great deprivations, they desired to live in peace and harmony with their Jewish and Muslim neighbours. But he said in order to do so, they needed legal protection against discrimination as well as freedom of worship.
In two meetings with Orthodox leaders, Pope Benedict noted that representatives of the Orthodox Church and other Christian denominations would participate as “fraternal delegates” at the Vatican-sponsored synod in order to help Catholic bishops “reflect on the vital role of Christians in the region”.
Cyprus’ most senior Greek Orthodox leader, Archbishop Chrysostomos II, welcomed Benedict XVI to lunch at his residence in a sign of friendship. But, as a reminder that deep divisions remain between the two Churches, five of the island’s 17 Orthodox bishops boycotted the gathering. Back to the front page
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