VATICAN - Pope Benedict XVI receives new Patriarch of Alexandria of Copt Catholics: “In today’s world your mission is of great importance for your faithful and for all men and women, to whom the love of Christ urges us to announce the Good News””

Saturday, 16 December 2006

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “In today’s world your mission is of great importance for your faithful and for all men and women, to whom the love of Christ urges us to announce the Good News”: Pope Benedict XVI said when he received in audience His Beatitude Antonios Naguib, new Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts, Egypt, on 15 December. “After your election to the patriarchal See of Alexandria of Copt Catholics - the Pope said - your first official visit to the Successor of Peter is a moment of grace for the Church”.
“It is in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy that the communion in Christ which renders us brothers, is best manifest. The liturgy expresses the fullness of communion among all Catholics around the Successor of Peter” said Pope Benedict XVI recalling that the See of Alexandria in the first five centuries of Christianity was the first Patriarchate after Rome. “Your patriarchal community is the bearer of a rich spiritual, liturgical and theological tradition - the Alexandrian tradition- the treasures of which are part of the Church’s heritage” the Holy Father quoting the preaching of Saint Mark the evangelist and assuring the Patriarch of his prayers and support "for the 'special task ' entrusted to the Eastern Catholic Churches by the Second Vatican Council: to foster unity of all Christians, particularly among those of the east.”
The Pope then mentioned the great wave of monasticism born in Egypt which tradition attributes to Saint Anthony and Saint Pacome. With the contribution of Saint Benedict, “monasticism became an immense tree which has born abundant and magnificent fruits all over the world ”. The Copt Church has writers, exegetes and philosophers like Clement of Alexandria and Origen, and patriarchs, confessors and doctors of the Church, such as Athanasius and Cyril. Pope Benedict XVI then praised the recognised importance of "human, spiritual, moral and intellectual education of youth by means of a school and catechetical system which constitutes a service for the whole of society".
The Pope concluded by stressing the importance of formation to the priesthood and the religious life. “The vitality of Christian communities in the world today - the Pope said - calls for shepherds according to the heart of God, authentic witnesses of the Word of God and guide to help the faithful to found their life and their mission in Christ!”. Recalling the role of consecrated life in the Copt Catholic Church, the Pope said “may poverty, chastity and obedience lived according to the evangelical counsels be for our world a witness and call to holiness", and he encouraged members of institutes of consecrated life to continue their mission, “above all among young people and persons most neglected by society”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 16/12/2006 - Righe 35, parole 493)


Share: