The Pope urges Orthodox Church of Cyprus to the full union with Catholics

Archbishop Chrysostomos and Pope Francis. Photo: de.catholicnewsagency.com

Pope Francis has called on the Orthodox bishops of Cyprus to unite fully with the Catholic Church, according to the Catholic News Agency.

On the morning of December 3, the second day of his official visit to Cyprus and Greece, the pontiff met with Archbishop Chrysostomos, followed by the meeting with members of the Holy Synod of the Cypriot Orthodox Church.

The meeting with the synodals took place in the Orthodox Cathedral of St. John the Theologian in Nicosia.

According to the head of the RCC, his stay in Cyprus reminded him of the "common apostolic origin".

“We are united by one path – the path of the Gospel. I hope we will continue it and strive for even greater brotherhood and full unity," he said. "<...> I sincerely hope there will be more opportunities for meetings to get to know each other better, to dispel prejudices."

The Vatican leader suggested not to be "paralyzed by fear of openness or bold gestures" and not to engage in talk of "irreconcilable differences", which, according to him, has nothing to do with the Gospel.

“The Holy Spirit wants us to approach each other again with humility and respect, invites us to overcome our past divisions and to cultivate together the field of the Kingdom of God with patience, perseverance and specific gestures. <...> If we put abstract concepts aside and work together, for example, in charity, education and the promotion of human dignity, we will rediscover our brotherhood, and the community will mature on its own toward the glory of God,” said Pope Francis.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the pope's official visit to Greece and Cyprus will last from 2 to 6 December. On the eve of the trip, the head of the RCC described the upcoming meeting with Greek Orthodox bishops as "synodal grace" and "apostolic brotherhood".
 

Read also