Jt. Declaration of Pope Francis and Patriarch Kyrill

[Maria]

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/02 ... ll/1208117

The Pope and the Patriarch agreed --

1. ... It is with joy that we have met like brothers in the Christian faith who encounter one another “to speak face to face” (2 Jn 12), from heart to heart, to discuss the mutual relations between the Churches, the crucial problems of our faithful, and the outlook for the progress of human civilization.

The theme of Christian Unity in Paragraph 6 was repeated throughout this declaration.

6. Mindful of the permanence of many obstacles, it is our hope that our meeting may contribute to the re–establishment of this unity willed by God, for which Christ prayed. May our meeting inspire Christians throughout the world to pray to the Lord with renewed fervour for the full unity of all His disciples. In a world which yearns not only for our words but also for tangible gestures, may this meeting be a sign of hope for all people of goodwill!

Paragraphs 8 through 11 addressed the horrible situation in the Middle East, especially in Syria, with an exhortation to avoid any escalation leading to World War III.

Paragraph 12 talked about martyrdom while paragraph 13 dealt with crimes in the name of religion. In paragraphs 14 through 19, mention was made of Christian history in the world.

Also discussed were the importance of marriage and the family. In addition, co-habitation and lifestyles contrary to Christian marriage and morals were denounced in paragraphs 19 and 20. Next, the moral and ethical issues affecting our world including abortion, euthanasia, and dangerous new medical technologies were addressed in paragraph 21.

Finally, the question of "uniatism” (sic) was brought up along with the serious schism and problems in the Ukraine.

28. In the contemporary world, which is both multiform yet united by a shared destiny, Catholics and Orthodox are called to work together fraternally in proclaiming the Good News of salvation, to testify together to the moral dignity and authentic freedom of the person, “so that the world may believe” (Jn 17:21). This world, in which the spiritual pillars of human existence are progressively disappearing, awaits from us a compelling Christian witness in all spheres of personal and social life. Much of the future of humanity will depend on our capacity to give shared witness to the Spirit of truth in these difficult times.

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My observations and thoughts follow:

Referring to paragraph 28, how is a "shared witness to the Spirit of truth" to be accomplished if the Pope believes according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) that Christians, Jews, and Muslims worship the same "God of Abraham"? Note that Abraham worshipped the Holy Trinity, as Three Angels appeared before him at the Oak, and he worshipped them as One Lord (One God in three Persons), so the God of Abraham is not the same as the God of Jews and Muslims.

The True Church of Christ has never been divided. Yes, schisms and heresies have occurred where schismatics and heretics have left the Church, just as Arias left back in the 4th century, but the Holy Church remains intact just as Christ promised. This is the True Faith once preached by Christ to all His Apostles for all times and for all peoples. Therefore, the Holy Church with Christ as its Head is not divided and does not need to be healed or "reunited" because it was never broken.

[Barbara]

I was waiting for the news of what happened at the meeting. I have not seen anything at all anywhere yet.
Thanks for giving us the highlights.

Interesting that it occurred on this Feast of the 3 Hierarchs.

[Cyprian]

Thank you for the link to the statement Maria, I was looking for this. More importantly, thank you for your sound Orthodox confession at the end of your post.

Orthodox Christian hierarchs have no business issuing any kind of joint statements with heretics in the first place. Regardless of what was specifically contained in the joint declaration, the very idea that Kirill, the wolf of Moscow, issued a joint statement with the apostate Vatican in the first place shows his disobedience to the Fathers, and his betrayal of Orthodoxy.

[Cyprian]

I should add, since Francis, in a very public way, shows not the slightest interest in repenting of his heresies and blasphemies; rather his purpose is to spread his infectious disease for the sake of polluting others, there is no good purpose served by any Orthodox Christian even meeting with the pope, let alone issuing joint declarations. If Kirill was a genuine Orthodox hierarch and not a wolf, he would never have met with Francis in the first place.

[Maria]

I should add, since Francis, in a very public way, shows not the slightest interest in repenting of his heresies and blasphemies; rather his purpose is to spread his infectious disease for the sake of polluting others, there is no good purpose served by any Orthodox Christian even meeting with the pope, let alone issuing joint declarations. If Kirill was a genuine Orthodox hierarch and not a wolf, he would never have met with Francis in the first place.

Very true. Thank you for posting this.

[Archimandrit Nilos]

Two apostates from all Christian Faith, the Sergianiste graceless Kyrill Gundjaew and the false "Pope of Rome" Bergoglio alias Francis, ANATHEMA TRIS !