Pope Francis on Friday received members of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches at the Vatican, on the twentieth anniversary of the Commission’s foundation.
With approximately 50 million members throughout the world, the Oriental Orthodox Churches represent an ancient Christian tradition that recognizes the first three Ecumenical Councils, while adhering to a “miaphysite” Christology – the subject of ongoing ecumenical discussion.
In his address on Friday, Pope Francis encouraged Commission members to continue to “pray and work tirelessly in the service of communion and in countering the famine of peace spreading throughout so many parts of the earth.”
Dialogue of charity, truth, life
The Pope went on to highlight “three inseparable ways to advance on the ecumenical journey that your Commission has encouraged over these past twenty years”: the dialogue of charity, the dialogue of truth, and the dialogue of life.
The dialogue of charity, he said, goes hand in hand with the dialogue of truth pursued by the commission, and includes the exchange of visits and letters, which have traditionally been “a sign and means of communion.”
The Pope noted, in particular, the fraternal visits of the heads of the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, and the Syriac Orthodox Church over the course of the past year.
Unity in diversity
Pope Francis went on to reflect on the development of relations with the Oriental Orthodox Churches over the last two decades, highlighting “the great richness in its approach to the issue of unity in diversity.”
In particular, he noted the yearly reciprocal visits of young priests and monks for study in the various Churches, which he called “a sign of the spirit, who rejuvenates the Church in harmony, inspires paths of communion, and grants wisdom to the young and prophecy to the old.”
“May this ‘dialogue of life’ continue under the banner of the Spirit!” the Pope said.
Full communion is possible
He prayed that the twentieth anniversary of the Commission might be a time of praise and gratitude to God for the progress already made, and expressed his hope that it might “renew the conviction that full communion between our Churches is not only possible but urgent and necessary ‘so that the world may believe.’”
Finally, noting that the Commission is now focusing on the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the life of the Church, Pope Francis proposed that the members entrust their work to her, and invited them to pray together the ancient prayer to Mary, Sub tuum praesidium:
We fly to your protection, Holy Mother of God.
Scorn not our petitions in the hour of need.
O glorious and blessed Virgin,
deliver us always from every peril.