His Beatitude Theodoros II
Greek Orthodox Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and
All Africa
I am sincerely grateful for the
message of good wishes that you were kind enough to
send me for the feast of Christmas and the
New Year. United with you in prayer, I turn my
thoughts with joy to the words of the psalmist,
words which are so closely linked to this festive
season, and which form the basis of our meditation
on the mystery of the Incarnation, the mystery of
the coming into the world of Emmanuel, God-with-us:
"You are my Son; today I have begotten you" (Psalm
2:7).
The eternal "today" of God has
come down into the transient "today" of this world.
For us who live in darkness, a light has shone (cf.
Is 9:1). This light is Christ, and it is
truth; it casts out the darkness of falsehood; it
lights up even the most seemingly inaccessible path;
it reassures our hesitant and fearful steps. The
light which streams forth from Bethlehem, where
"God's grace has appeared" [Tit 2:11) is a
light that gives warmth to our hearts, for it
manifests to us God's love for the world.
During the celebration of
Christmas, I prayed that the Lord would inspire a
profound conviction in the hearts of all who have
been baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and
the Holy Spirit, a conviction that through our
mutual love we are called to be messengers and
witnesses of the eternal love of God. In truth, it
is only thus that the light of the child of
Bethlehem will overcome our divisions, preparing us
to enter ever more deeply into the full communion
for which we long and for which we must work without
ceasing.
With these sentiments, I assure
you of my affection and I wish you the Peace of
Christ, our Light.
From the Vatican, 15 February
2006
Benedict P P XVI
GREETING OF HIS BEATITUDE
THE POPE AND PATRIARCH OF ALEXANDRIA AND ALL AFRICA
THEODOROS II
TO THE NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE WORLD COUNCIL OF
CHURCHES HELD IN BRAZIL 14-23 FEBRUARY 2006.
Beloved participants
The World Council of
Churches goes forward in the name of the father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The Council makes
ecclesiastical history. Every General Assembly, a
gathering of Christians "with common mind'' defines its
Trinitarian sojourn 'in this world' for the Church of
God, His people.'' This extract, from the address of our
blessed predecessor and President of the WCC, Patriarch
Parthenios, which, as the then Bishop of Cyrene, we
delivered during the deliberations of the Seventh
General Assembly in 1991, we now repeat today as Primate
of the Alexandrian Church.
We congratulate all who
labored tirelessly and with self-sacrifice for the
preparation of the General Assembly. We pray for the
success of the aims of the Assembly and your
contribution to the visible unity of Christians.
The position of the
Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa regarding the
Ecumenical Movement, and the WCC specifically, are in
agreement with the common witness of Orthodoxy in the
modern World. They are as follows:
The Patriarchate of
Alexandria, unceasingly praying for the ''union of all'',
participated in the Ecumenical Movement since its
interception and contributed to its molding and further
development. The Church of Alexandria, due to the
Ecumenical Character that distinguishes it, continuously
labored throughout history for the restoration of
Christian Unity. The Participation of the Patriarchate
of Alexandria in the Ecumenical movement is not foreign
or contrary to the nature and history of the Orthodox
Church, but constitutes the conscientious expression of
the Apostolic faith within new historical conditions and
in response to new existential demands.
The WCC is amongst the most
important organs of the Ecumenical Movement. Even though
it does not include, within its membership, all the
Christian Churches and confessions and even though other
Ecumenical bodies also fulfil a significant mission in
the furthering of the wider Ecumenical Movement, the WCC
today represents a constituted ecumenical body. Specific
Orthodox Churches were among its founder members. The
Orthodox Churches, by pan-orthodox agreement,
constitutes full and equal members of the WCC and
contribute, to the best of their abilities and means, to
the furthering and success of the work of the WCC.
The Orthodox Churches, as
members of the WCC, accept the basic articles of the
Constitution regarding the aims and objectives of the
Council. They also have the firm belief that the
Ecclesiological preconditions of the Toronto Statement
(1950), ''The Church, the Churches and the WCC'' is of
paramount importance for the Orthodox participation in
the WCC. It is thus self-explanatory that the WCC is not
and can never be seen as a ''Super-Church".
''The aim of the WCC is not
to negotiate unions between Churches, something that can
only be realized by the Churches themselves working on
their own initiative, but to bring Churches into living
contact with one-another and to further the study and
conversation of issues regarding Christian Unity''.
The WCC as an organ of its
member Churches is not concerned solely with the context
of the "Faith and Order" dialogue. Its multi-faced
activities in the spheres of Evangelism, Ministry,
health, theological education, inter-religious dialogue,
the struggle against racism, the furthering of the
ideals of Peace and Justice, all cover specific needs of
the Churches of the World today and offer an opportunity
of common witness and action. The Patriarchate of
Alexandria appreciates this multi-faceted activity of
the WCC and co-operates within these fields to the best
of its ability and as its means allow.
New possibilities for a more
significant Orthodox participation in the Council were
opened after the 6th General Assembly in Vancouver. The
equal importance even to the theological and social work
of the Council, by the Vancouver Assembly, opened new
horizons for the encounter and penetration of Orthodox
theological thought into the life and activities of the
WCC.
It is, however, a fact that
a substantial Orthodox witness and the Orthodox
theological contribution will be weakened, if, within
the WCC, the necessary preconditions are not found that
will offer the Orthodox Churches (the ability to act, on
an equal basis to the other members of the WCC, and
according to their ecclesiological identity. This is
something that has not always happened due to the
structure and the working principles that are followed.
The Orthodox Church is aware
that the Ecurnenical Movement takes on new forms in
order to respond to new conditions and to deal with the
new challenges of the world today. The creative
contribution and witness of the Orthodox Church, on the
basis of its apostolic tradition and faith, is of vital
importance and necessity for the way ahead. We pray that
all the Christian Churches work together, so that the
day is near when the Lord will fulfil the hope of the
Churches, that they be "one flock with one Shepherd"
With Paternal and Brotherly love
THEODOROS II
POPE AND PATRIARCH OF ALEXANDRIA AND ALL AFRICA