I. Ermeni Sorunun Tarihsel Boyutu
4. Parlamento Kararları
Vatikan Bildirgesi -
Kasım
10, 2002
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"...The Armenian genocide, which began the century, was a prologue to
horrors that would follow. Two world wars, countless regional conflicts and
deliberately organized campaigns of extermination took the lives of millions
of faithful..."
Joint Communiqué of Pope John Paul II and Catholicos Karekin II
His Holiness Pope John Paul II, Bishop of Rome, and His Holiness Karekin II,
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, give thanks to the Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ, for enabling them to meet together on the occasion
of the Jubilee of the Year 2000 and on the threshold of the 1700th
anniversary of the proclamation of Christianity as the state religion of
Armenia.
They also give thanks in the Holy Spirit that the fraternal relations
between the See of Rome and the See of Etchmiadzin have further developed
and deepened in recent years. This progress finds its expression in their
present personal meeting and particularly in the gift of a relic of Saint
Gregory the Illuminator, the holy missionary who converted the king of
Armenia (301 A.D.) and established the line of Catholicoi of the Armenian
Church. The present meeting builds upon the previous encounters between Pope
Paul VI and Catholicos Vasken I (1970) and upon the two meetings between
Pope John Paul II and Catholicos Karekin I (1996 and 1999). Pope John Paul
II and Catholicos Karekin II now continue to look forward to a possible
meeting in Armenia. On the present occasion, they wish to state together the
following.
Together we confess our faith in the Triune God and in one Lord Jesus
Christ, the only Son of God, who became man for our salvation. We also
believe in One, Catholic, Apostolic and Holy Church. The Church, as the Body
of Christ, indeed, is one and unique. This is our common faith, based on the
teachings of the Apostles and the Fathers of the Church. We acknowledge
furthermore that both the Catholic Church and the Armenian Church have true
sacraments, above all – by apostolic succession of bishops – the priesthood
and the Eucharist. We continue to pray for full and visible communion
between us. The liturgical celebration we preside over together, the sign of
peace we exchange and the blessing we give together in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ, testify that we are brothers in the episcopacy. Together we
are jointly responsible for what is our common mission: to teach the
apostolic faith and to witness to the love of Christ for all human beings,
especially those living in difficult circumstances.
The Catholic Church and the Armenian Church share a long history of mutual
respect, considering their various theological, liturgical and canonical
traditions as complementary, rather than conflicting. Today, too, we have
much to receive from one another. For the Armenian Church, the vast
resources of Catholic learning can become a treasure and source of
inspiration, through the exchange of scholars and students, through common
translations and academic initiatives, through different forms of
theological dialogue. Likewise, for the Catholic Church, the steadfast,
patient faith of a martyred nation like Armenia can become a source of
spiritual strength, particularly through common prayer. It is our firm
desire to see these many forms of mutual exchange and rapprochement between
us improved and intensified.
As we embark upon the third millennium, we look back on the past and forward
to the future. As to the past, we thank God for the many blessings we have
received from his infinite bounty, for the holy witness given by so many
saints and martyrs, for the spiritual and cultural heritage bequeathed by
our ancestors. Many times, however, both the Catholic Church and the
Armenian Church have lived through dark and difficult periods. Christian
faith was contested by atheistic and materialistic ideologies; Christian
witness was opposed by totalitarian and violent regimes; Christian love was
suffocated by individualism and the pursuit of personal interest. Leaders of
nations no longer feared God, nor did they feel ashamed before humankind.
For both of us, the 20th century was marked by extreme violence. The
Armenian genocide, which began the century, was a prologue to horrors that
would follow. Two world wars, countless regional conflicts and deliberately
organized campaigns of extermination took the lives of millions of faithful.
Nevertheless, without diminishing the horror of these events and their
consequences, there may be a kind of divine challenge in them, if in
response Christians are persuaded to join together in deeper friendship in
the cause of Christian truth and love.
We now look to the future with hope and confidence. At this juncture in
history, we see new horizons for us Christians and for the world. Both in
the East and in the West, after having experienced the deadly consequences
of godless regimes and lifestyles, many people are yearning for the
knowledge of truth and the way of salvation. Together, guided by charity and
respect for freedom, we seek to answer their desire, so as to bring them to
the sources of authentic life and true happiness. We seek the intercession
of the Apostles Peter and Paul, Thaddeus and Bartholomew, of Saint Gregory
the Illuminator and all Saintly Pastors of the Catholic Church and the
Armenian Church, and pray the Lord to guide our communities so that, with
one voice, we may give witness to the Lord and proclaim the truth of
salvation. We also pray that around the world, wherever members of the
Armenian and the Catholic Church live side by side, all ordained ministers,
religious and faithful will "help to carry one another’s burdens, and in
this way obey the law of Christ" (Gal 6: 2). May they mutually sustain and
assist one another, in full respect of their particular identities and
ecclesiastical traditions, avoiding to prevail one over another: "so then,
as often as we have the chance, we should do good to everyone, and
especially to those who belong to our family in the faith" (Gal 6:10).
Finally, we seek the intercession of the Holy Mother of God for the sake of
peace. May the Lord grant wisdom to the leaders of nations, so that justice
and peace may prevail throughout the world. In these days in particular, we
pray for peace in the Middle East. May all the children of Abraham grow in
mutual respect and find appropriate ways for living peacefully together in
this sacred part of the world.
[Original text: English]
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