We are gathered here today in the spirit of peace for the good of all human beings and for the care of creation. At this moment in history, at the beginning of the third millennium, we are saddened to see the daily suffering of a great number of people from violence, starvation, poverty and disease. We are also concerned about the negative consequences for humanity and for all creation resulting from the degradation of some basic natural resources such as water, air and land, brought about by an economic and technological progress which does not recognize and take into account its limits. … Read more »… À suivre »
Voici le texte intégral de la Déclaration commune signée par le pape Jean-Paul II et le patriarche œcuménique Bartholomaios Ier au terme de la visite de celui-ci au Vatican. … Read more »… À suivre »
ISTANBUL, Turkey (ELCA) — A 17-member delegation from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) met here March 17 with His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The Lutherans offered official greetings to the patriarch, suggesting he visit the ELCA churchwide office in Chicago, as he did with his predecessor, Patriarch Demetrios. The greeting was read … Read more »… À suivre »
Address of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch BARTHOLOMEW to the XIIth Ordinary General Assembly of Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church (The Vatican, 18 October 2008) … Read more »… À suivre »
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomeos I, a spiritual leader who represents Eastern Orthodox Christianity, has called for the creation of a churches’ umbrella body in Europe to include Roman Catholics alongside Anglicans, Orthodox and Protestants. … Read more »… À suivre »
Le patriarche œcuménique Bartholomée Ier, “premier parmi ses pairs” dans la hiérarchie de l’Eglise orthodoxe, a appelé de ses vœux la création d’une organisation rassemblant anglicans, orthodoxes, protestants et catholiques romains. … Read more »… À suivre »
Orthodox leader ‘resists opposition’ with call for church unity
The Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomeos I, a key leader for the world’s 300 million Orthodox Christians, has written a Lenten encyclical that stresses the need for greater unity for churches, and counters accusations from some of his bishops that ecumenism is heresy. … Read more »… À suivre »
Patriarchal and Synodal Encyclical On the Sunday of Orthodoxy (February 21, 2010)
+ BARTHOLOMEW By God’s Grace Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch
To the Fullness of the Church, Grace and Peace From our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Our most holy Orthodox Church today commemorates its own feast day, and – from this historical and martyric See of the Ecumenical Patriarchate – the Mother Church of Constantinople directs its blessing, love and concern to all of its faithful and dedicated spiritual children throughout the world, inviting them to concelebrate in prayer. … Read more »… À suivre »
The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I publicly reaffirmed the Ecumenical Patriarchate‘s commitment to the vision and mission of the World Council of Churches (WCC) on 3 September. He was addressing participants of the WCC Central Committee meeting in Crete, Greece. “The commitment of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the vision and mission of the WCC – from the early formative and creative years through even the more difficult and contentious moments – has always been unwavering and paramount,” said Bartholomew I. … Read more »… À suivre »
The Ecumenical Patriarchate expresses profound sorrow as the world has rushed into a confusing and volatile time of religious protests turning violent, and a grievous lack of consideration for religious differences. When we act disrespectfully and violently in the name of our religious prejudices or our religious beliefs we are undermining our own lives and faith, while creating an atmosphere of anger, hatred, and distrust which unravels the very thread that has woven humanity together since our creation. The Ecumenical Patriarchate issued last August a communiqué “On the resurgence of Violence spreading throughout the World” and called for all people engaged in violence to lay down their weapons. Given the events of the past weeks, this call for peaceful engagement and mutual respect for all humanity is even more critical. Holy Scripture teaches us in Proverbs 10.12 “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.” Hence, let us love one another because we know that true love comes from God who created every living person, and He loves every individual in His Divine Providence. We who profess to know God must recognize the Divine miracle of life within each human being and respect that seed of Divine creation. We who name God as our sovereign must nurture human life and reach out with honour to that person with whom we disagree. … Read more »… À suivre »
En ces lieux, il y a cinquante ans, une cérémonie solennelle a conquis le cœur et l’esprit de l’Eglise catholique, la faisant entrer dans le monde contemporain. L’ouverture d’un concile fut inspiré par la réalité fondamentale que le Fils et Verbe de Dieu incarné se trouve là où deux ou trois sont réunis en son nom et que l’Esprit, qui procède du Père, nous guidera vers la vérité complète… Au cours des cinquante dernières années, les fruits de cette assemblée ont été variés, dont témoigne une série de constitutions importantes, de déclarations et de décrets. Nous avons vu le renouvellement de l’esprit et un retour aux sources dans la recherche liturgique, biblique et patristique. … Read more »… À suivre »
During the course of this morning’s ceremony in St. Peter’s Square for the opening of the Year of Faith, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I pronounced an address, extracts of which are given below.
“Fifty years ago in this very square, a powerful and pivotal celebration captured the heart and mind of the Roman Catholic Church, transporting it across the centuries into the contemporary world. This transforming milestone, the opening of Vatican Council II, was inspired by the fundamental reality that the Son and incarnate Logos of God is ‘where two or three are gathered in his name’ and that the Spirit, Who proceeds from the Father, ‘will guide us into the whole truth’. … Read more »… À suivre »
Pope Francis’ reference to himself as the ‘Bishop of Rome’ was music to the ears of Orthodox leaders for whom the question of papal primacy has long been a problem for reunion. Their attendance at the new Pope’s inaugural Mass was a sign of their hopes for closer communion. A statement from the patriarchate explained Bartholomew’s decision to attend Pope Francis’ inauguration personally: the need for “a profoundly bold step … that could have lasting significance”. It is the first time the Bishop of Constantinople has attended the inauguration of the Bishop of Rome ever, let alone since the great schism of 1054. According to the patriarchate website: “after such a long division … authentic reunion will require courage, leadership and humility. Given Pope Francis’ well-documented work for social justice and his insistence that globalisation is detrimental to the poor … the Orthodox and the Roman Catholic traditions have a renewed opportunity to work collectively on issues of mutual concern … But such work requires a first step and it would appear as though Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is willing to take such a step.” In one of those seemingly informal but resonant gestures that we are beginning to expect from Francis, the response was immediate and commensurate. The successor of Peter greeted the successor of the other Galilean fisherman as “my brother Andrew”. … Read more »… À suivre »
“Your presence is the sign of the profound bond that unites the Church of Constantinople with the Church of Rome in faith, in hope, and in charity,” Pope Francis said this morning on receiving the delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarch, which had arrived in Rome to celebrate the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul. The tradition of exchanging visits for the occasions of the respective patronal feasts dates back to 1969. The Pope emphasized that “fraternal gathering is an essential part of the journey towards unity.”
“The search for unity among Christians is an urgent task—you have said that ‘it is not a luxury, but an imperative’—from which, today more than ever, we cannot prescind. In our world that hungers and thirsts for truth, love, hope, peace, and unity, our witness demands that we should at last be able to proclaim, with one voice, the good news of the Gospel and celebrate together the Divine Mysteries of our new life in Christ. We are well aware that unity is primarily a gift from Gift that we must pray for unceasingly, but we all have the task of preparing the conditions, of cultivating the soil of the heart so that this extraordinary grace may be received.” … Read more »… À suivre »
Faith can be a powerful ally in addressing issues of social justice, said Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. He called faith a bearer of unique perspectives on eradicating poverty, balancing amidst globalization, combating fundamentalism, racism, and developing religious tolerance during conflicts.
“It is precisely the role of religion to respond to the needs of the world’s poor as well as to vulnerable and marginalized people. In fact, it is a rare instance where a faith institution is not a defining marker of the space and character of a community,” he said. … Read more »… À suivre »
The Ecumenical Patriarch said today he hoped for a continuing exchange of Orthodox and Anglican students to aid the two Churches’ relationship.
His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who occupies the First Throne of the Orthodox Christian Church, was speaking today during his welcome of the Anglican Communion’s spiritual head Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.
He said, “In the past, the rapprochement between our two Churches has been greatly assisted by the exchange of students, and we trust that this will continue. Our Theological School at Halki used to offer scholarships to Anglicans, and when it is reopened – as will happen in the near future (so it may be hoped) – we shall certainly wish to revive this tradition.
“These exchange students have frequently gone on to become leaders in their respective Churches, and their early inter-Church experience has enabled them to further the cause of Christian unity in highly constructive ways.”
Archbishop Welby is on what has been described as an ‘intensive two-day visit’ that will include official reception in the Chamber of the Throne, and a discussion with the Synodical Committee for Inter-Christian Affairs. … Read more »… À suivre »
The Archbishop of Canterbury affirmed his commitment to the reconciliation of Eastern and Western churches during a meeting with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew yesterday.
The Most Revd Justin Welby was meeting with Patriarch Bartholomew during a two-day visit to Istanbul.
During their meeting Archbishop Justin said that Patriarch Bartholomew had been “an example of peace and reconciliation, politically, with the natural world, and in your historic visit to the installation of His Holiness Pope Francis I.
“Such reconciliation [is] very dear to my heart and is one of my key priorities. It is the call of Christ that all may be one so that the world may see. I will therefore be taking back with me the warmth of your hospitality and also, after our discussions today and tomorrow, a renewed and refreshed focus for greater unity and closer fellowship. We want to carry the cross of our divisions, but be filled with the hope and joy that comes from the grace and the love of Jesus.” … Read more »… À suivre »
There are many reasons to be hopeful about the direction of Catholic-Orthodox dialogue but it is threatened by tensions emerging within the Orthodox Church. As the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity gets under way today, a leading ecumenist gives his assessment.
In 1923, a schoolteacher priest of Lyons started devoting his spare time to helping the 10,000 refugees from Bolshevism camped and lodged around the city and its suburbs. It was his first encounter with a Christianity that was not Roman Catholic. Thus he learned the friendship of receiving as well as giving, finding great respect for the Orthodox clergy and people in their moment of destitution, as his heart opened to their faith and the beauty of their worship. He was astonished to find Catholics from the old Russian Empire who were not Latins, but Eastern Christians who maintained their unity with the Bishop of Rome with roots to before the Great Schism. Over the next decade, Paul Couturier became convinced of the need for Christian unity, and in 1935 he took hold of the Catholic Church Unity Octave, founded in 1908, and developed it into a “Universal Week of Prayer for the Unity of Christians in the charity and truth of Christ”. Inspired by the holiness of the Orthodox, beyond this world he imagined an “invisible monastery”, in which all could unite in prayer to God in Heaven, in the hope of seeing the same union realised in the Church here. He took for his motto the saying of Metropolitan Platon Gorodetsky of Kiev: “The walls of separation do not rise as far as Heaven.” … Read more »… À suivre »
Read the 2015 joint statement of the Evangelical-Roman Catholic dialogue in Saskatoon, Called to Common Witness
The Church as Koinonia of Salvation
Permanent link: https://ecumenism.net/?p=3473
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En ces lieux, il y a cinquante ans, une cérémonie solennelle a conquis le cœur et l’esprit de l’Eglise catholique, la faisant entrer dans le monde contemporain. L’ouverture d’un concile fut inspiré par la réalité fondamentale que le Fils et Verbe de Dieu incarné se trouve là où deux ou trois sont réunis en son nom et que l’Esprit, qui procède du Père, nous guidera vers la vérité complète… Au cours des cinquante dernières années, les fruits de cette assemblée ont été variés, dont témoigne une série de constitutions importantes, de déclarations et de décrets. Nous avons vu le renouvellement de l’esprit et un retour aux sources dans la recherche liturgique, biblique et patristique. 
Pope Francis’ reference to himself as the ‘Bishop of Rome’ was music to the ears of Orthodox leaders for whom the question of papal primacy has long been a problem for reunion. Their attendance at the new Pope’s inaugural Mass was a sign of their hopes for closer communion. A statement from the patriarchate explained Bartholomew’s decision to attend Pope Francis’ inauguration personally: the need for “a profoundly bold step … that could have lasting significance”. It is the first time the Bishop of Constantinople has attended the inauguration of the Bishop of Rome ever, let alone since the great schism of 1054. According to the patriarchate website: “after such a long division … authentic reunion will require courage, leadership and humility. Given Pope Francis’ well-documented work for social justice and his insistence that globalisation is detrimental to the poor … the Orthodox and the Roman Catholic traditions have a renewed opportunity to work collectively on issues of mutual concern … But such work requires a first step and it would appear as though 
Faith can be a powerful ally in addressing issues of social justice, said Bartholomew I, 
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There are many reasons to be hopeful about the direction of Catholic-Orthodox dialogue but it is threatened by tensions emerging within the Orthodox Church. As the