Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Paphos (Agenzia Fides) - “Following in the footsteps of our common fathers in the faith, Saints Paul and Barnabas, I have come among you as a pilgrim and the servant of the servants of God...I also look forward to greeting other Cypriot religious leaders. I hope to strengthen our common bonds and to reiterate the need to build up mutual trust and lasting friendship between all those who worship the one God.” Thus were the motivations of this apostolic journey to Cyprus expressed by the Holy Father Benedict XVI upon his arrival at the Paphos International Airport at 1pm on June 4. The Pope continued: “As the Successor of Peter, I come in a special way to greet the Catholics of Cyprus, to confirm them in the faith (cf. Lk 22:32) and to encourage them to be both exemplary Christians and exemplary citizens, and to play a full role in society, to the benefit of both Church and state. During my stay with you, I will also consign the Instrumentum Laboris, a working document in view of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops to be held later this year in Rome. That Assembly will examine many aspects of the Church’s presence in the region and the challenges that Catholics face, sometimes in trying circumstances, in living out their communion within the Catholic Church and offering their witness in the service of society and the world. Cyprus is thus an appropriate place in which to launch our Church’s reflection on the place of the centuries-old Catholic community in the Middle East, our solidarity with all the Christians of the region and our conviction that they have an irreplaceable role to play in peace and reconciliation among its peoples.”
In the afternoon, the Holy Father traveled to the Church of Agia Kiriaki Chrysopolitissa (Saint Ciriaca Chrysopolitissa), an Orthodox shrine also open to Catholics and Anglicans, for an Ecumenical Celebration. During his address, Benedict XVI recalled how “Cyprus was the first stage in the missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul,” who, along with Barnabas and Mark, dedicated himself to proclaiming God's Word. “Thus it was from this place that the Gospel message began to spread throughout the Empire, and the Church, grounded in the apostolic preaching, was able to take root throughout the then-known world. The Church in Cyprus can rightly be proud of her direct links to the preaching of Paul, Barnabas and Mark, and her communion in the apostolic faith, a communion which links her to all those Churches who preserve that same rule of faith.”
After highlighting how the communion, although imperfect, “unites us, and impels us to overcome our divisions and to strive for the restoration of that full visible unity which is the Lord’s will for all his followers,” Benedict XVI highlighted that “the Church’s communion in the apostolic faith is both a gift and a summons to mission...Like Paul and Barnabas, every Christian, by baptism, is set apart to bear prophetic witness to the Risen Lord and to his Gospel of reconciliation, mercy and peace. In this context, the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops, due to meet in Rome next October, will reflect on the vital role of Christians in the region, encourage them in their witness to the Gospel, and help foster greater dialogue and cooperation between Christians throughout the region.”
Lastly, Benedict XVI emphasized that “the unity of all Christ’s disciples is a gift to be implored from the Father in the hope that it will strengthen the witness to the Gospel in today’s world” and that “the path leading to the goal of full communion will certainly not be without its difficulties, yet the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church of Cyprus are committed to advancing in the way of dialogue and fraternal cooperation.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 5/6/2010)
