Several advances have been made in the ongoing process of reunification with our Orthodox brothers and sisters. Though it received little coverage in the news, a rather moving gesture took place this past June 29th, the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, in Rome. Back in the early 1940s a great discovery took place in a small niche under a monument found in the necropolis or catacombs underneath Saint Peter’s Basilica that dates back to the early second to third centuries. What was discovered was what most archeologists believe to be the bones of Saint Peter himself. These bones were stored for safekeeping and were not heard about again until Saint Paul VI in 1968 announced that the “relics” of Saint Peter had been “identified in a way which we can hold to be convincing.” He then took the nine bone fragments and had them placed in a bronze reliquary and placed them in his private chapel in the papal apartments.
After the Mass on June 29th, Pope Francis asked the Orthodox representative to come with him to the papal apartments (where he has chosen not to live,) and according to Vatican News, “the pope took the reliquary that his predecessor Paul VI had placed in the little chapel and offered it to his guest.” The relics then traveled to Istanbul to the Holy Phanar and were given to Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. At a ceremony the next day to receive the relics and venerate them, Patriarch Bartholomew said, “Pope Francis made this grand, fraternal and historic gesture and I was deeply moved. It was a brave and bold initiative of Pope Francis.”
His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew visited Rome on Oct. 19-22 to attend and speak at the International Meeting of prayer for peace “No One Is Saved Alone — Peace and Fraternity,” organized by the Community of Sant’ Egidio. While attending the meeting, the Patriarch received the title of Honorary Doctor from the Pontifical University of Antonianum. At this ceremony Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State for the Vatican, spoke of the deep harmony between the teachings of Pope Francis and that of the Ecumenical Patriarch. He said that Patriarch Bartholomew with his various causes portrays “a particularly significant example because of his heartfelt concern for the environmental crisis and even more so, for his profound reflection on the ecological theme,” adding that the Patriarch had been “a source of inspiration” for Pope Francis’ concern for the environment. Following this ceremony, the Patriarch met with Pope Francis.
Just last week, on the occasion of the feast of Saint Andrew (brother of Saint Peter), Pope Francis sent a message to his brother Patriarch Bartholomew. In it he thanked the Patriarch for all his many efforts toward Christian unity in his ministry as the Ecumenical Patriarch. He spoke of the abiding patronage of Saint Andrew, the patron of the Ecumenical Patriarch. Pope Francis referred to “the charity, apostolic zeal and perseverance of Saint Andrew” which, he added, “is a source of encouragement in these difficult and critical times.” He also said, “Giving glory to God also strengthens our faith and hope in the one who welcomed into eternal life the holy martyr Andrew, whose faith endured in time of trial.”
Pope Francis wrote about the state of our world today. “Together with the challenges posed by the current pandemic, war continues to afflict many parts of the world, while armed conflicts emerge to steal the lives of countless men and women,” he wrote. Speaking of how our churches can help the world at this time, he wrote, we “have a primary duty to offer an example of dialogue, mutual respect and practical cooperation.” Noting the close relationship that he shares with the Patriarch, the pope said that he has experienced “this fraternity at first hand.”
Though Pope Francis noted that some obstacles toward full communion still exist with our Orthodox friends, he wrote that he is confident that by “walking together in mutual love and pursuing theological dialogue, we will reach that goal.” He added, “We can thank God that relations between the Catholic Church and the Ecumenical Patriarchate have grown much over the past century, even as we continue to yearn for the goal of restoration of full communion expressed through participation at the same Eucharistic altar.” He concluded his letter with speaking of our shared hope, a hope which “is based on our common faith in Jesus Christ, sent by God the Father to gather all people into one body, and the cornerstone of the one and holy church, God’s holy temple, in which all of us are living stones, each according to our own particular charism or ministry bestowed by the Holy Spirit!”
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