On the morning of November 19, Pope Francis received Patriarch Ava III of the Eastern Assyrian Church and expressed the hope that both Churches could celebrate Easter on the same day in the near future. The pope asked for guarantees of the rights of Christians in the Middle East, “above all freedom of religion and full citizenship”.
(Vatican News Network)You are “neither a stranger nor a guest, but a farmer (see Eph 2:19), indeed a dear brother”. These are the kind words that Pope Francis addressed to the Patriarch of the Eastern Assyrian Church, Mar Awa III, on a visit to the Vatican on the morning of 19 November.
The Pope thanked in particular Patriarch Ava III for having expressed “the desire to establish a day in which all Christians can celebrate Easter together”. During the talks, the Pope first reviewed the unfortunate divisions of the past and the path towards unity in recent decades, and expressed his expectations for future unity and communion.
Referring to the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which will take place in 2025, the Pope humorously said: “It is important because we will also celebrate Easter on the same day. we laugh: ‘When will your Christ rise again?’ The sign we should show is that there is only one Christ for all of us”.
The Pope then mentioned the current situation in the Middle East. Today that land “remains marked by a very high level of violence, instability and insecurity”. “Many brothers and sisters of our Faith have had to leave their lands. Many are struggling to stay there. My esteemed Patriarch and I reiterate our appeal for them to enjoy their rights, in particular freedom of religion and full citizenship”, he said said the Pope. .In this situation, the clergy and faithful of our Church strive to bear witness together to the Gospel of Christ in difficult situations and in many places they already experience almost total communion. This is true, and this situation is a sign of the times, urging us to pray and work hard to prepare ourselves for the long-awaited day in which we will be able to celebrate the Eucharist together”.
The Pope then spoke of the ecumenical journey, saying: “It is important that we draw closer, not only to return to our common roots, but together to proclaim to today’s world with the witness of life and the words of life. mystery of the love of Christ and of his bride, the Holy Church”.
Finally, the Pope expressly expressed his dream: “May the longest separation in the history of the Church, that from the beloved Assyrian Church in the East, be the first to be resolved, according to God’s will”.
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