Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Commentarium Officiale1060

to whom I have entrusted the task of conveying to you my warmest fraternal

greetings on the Feast of Saint Andrew, the brother of Saint Peter and the

protector of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

On this joyful occasion commemorating the birth into eternal life of the

Apostle Andrew, whose witness of faith in the Lord culminated in his mar-

tyrdom, I express also my respectful remembrance to the Holy Synod, the

clergy and all the faithful, who under your pastoral care and guidance con-

tinue even in difficult circumstances to witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The memory of the holy martyrs compels all Christians to bear witness to

their faith before the world. There is an urgency in this call especially in our

own day, in which Christianity is faced with increasingly complex challenges.

The witness of Christians will surely be all the more credible if all believers in

Christ are « of one heart and soul ».1

Our Churches have committed themselves sincerely over the last decades

to pursuing the path towards the re-establishment of full communion, and

although we have not yet reached our goal, many steps have been taken that

have enabled us to deepen the bonds between us. Our growing friendship and

mutual respect, and our willingness to encounter one another and to recog-

nize one another as brothers in Christ, should not be hindered by those who

remain bound to the remembrance of historical differences, which impedes

their openness to the Holy Spirit who guides the Church and is able to trans-

form all human failings into opportunities for good.

This openness has guided the work of the Joint International Commission

for Theological Dialogue, which held its eleventh plenary session in Cyprus

last month. The meeting was marked by a spirit of solemn purpose and a

warm sentiment of closeness. I extend once again my heartfelt gratitude to

the Church of Cyprus for its most generous welcome and hospitality. It is a

source of great encouragement that despite some difficulties and misunder-

standings all the Churches involved in the International Commission have

expressed their intention to continue the dialogue.

The theme of the plenary session, The Role of the Bishop of Rome in the

Communion of the Church in the First Millennium, is certainly complex, and will

require extensive study and patient dialogue if we are to aspire to a shared

integration of the traditions of East and West. The Catholic Church under-

stands the Petrine ministry as a gift of the Lord to His Church. This ministry

should not be interpreted in the perspective of power, but within an ecclesiol-

1 Acts 4:32.