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Christus Rex Information ServiceVATICAN CITY, JUN 29, 1996 (VIS) - Today, Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles, John Paul II presided at a Eucharistic celebration in the Vatican basilica, during which he imposed the pallium on 30 metropolitan archbishops.
In the homily, the Pope said that the Apostles Peter and Paul "transmitted the truth of Christ crucified and risen not only with words and deeds, but above all with the witness of their own lives."
The Holy Father referred to Peter's profession of faith: "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God," which "in a certain sense (contains) the beginning of the Church. ... This truth represents a decisive element for the apostolic identity of the Church from generation to generation throughout the centuries."
"This communion of faith is expressed in today's solemn celebration, also through the meaningful gesture of the imposition of the sacred pallium" on the metropolitan archbishops. "The pallium that you receive today is an expression of that unity with the See of Peter and of that witness in agreement with the Christian faith, which must characterize your episcopal ministry."
"The solemnity and the joy of this day," he concluded, "is moreover enriched by the presence of the fraternal delegation that His Holiness Bartholomew I has sent here. ... Fraternal meeting in prayer reinforces before the Lord the commitment to do all that is possible to overcome the difficulties that still exist, so that we may soon see fulfilled the wish for full communion and participation in the one and only Eucharist."
VATICAN CITY, JUN 29, 1996 (VIS) - At today's angelus in St. Peter's Square, the Pope spoke of the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles, "whose memory pushes us toward a commitment to an ever greater fidelity and an ever deeper unity."
John Paul II noted that precisely one year ago "I had the joy of meeting with the brother from Constantinople, Patriarch Bartholomew I. Together we addressed the word to the people of God, almost foreshadowing the beauty of full communion for which we both long."
"It is a longing," he continued, "stirred by the Spirit of God! It is He who pushes us to shorten the distance, to drop prejudices, to know each other more closely. ... The Church still lives off of the spiritual, cultural and human doctrinal riches that were exchanged especially among the great saints of the patristic period. They continue to be a common patrimony that we must rediscover and value, so that the Church may be able once again to breath 'with both lungs', the Eastern and the Western."
"Today, Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, I renew this invitation. As the son of a Slav people, I personally feel a special call of the Lord to work for this." And he concluded by commenting that in forthcoming weeks at the Angelus he will talk about some aspects of the Christian patrimony of the East.
VATICAN CITY, JUN 29, 1996 (VIS) - John Paul II received today the delegation from the ecumenical patriarchate of Constantinople that attended this morning's Mass in the Vatican basilica, and told them that the meetings between the delegations - each year on November 30 and June 29 - "are an opportunity to consider frankly and fraternally the development of our relations."
"In order to be able to be credible for our faithful, our prayer and our accords should be followed by concrete accomplishments. We must accomplish together what we have planned together."
The Pope recalled that in last year's joint declaration in Rome with Patriarch Bartholomew I "we invited 'our faithful to make this pilgrimage toward the Jubilee together spiritually'. ... Indeed, we must live and celebrate an important historical deadline. For us it is an opportunity to invite all the faithful to renew their bond to the very person of 'Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday, today and always.'"
"I would wish that a spirit of cooperation in the effort for renewal might extend itself to all places where Catholics and Orthodox live together. The celebration of the Year 2000 could also be a joint celebration of Jesus Christ our Lord."
"As the son of Slavic people, I personally feel a special call from the Lord to work for this (unity)," the Polish Pope said during the mass celebrating the two apostles.
At last year's celebration, the Pope and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew -- the spiritual leader of more than 150 million Orthodox Christians -- blessed pilgrims in St Peter's Square after holding talks on reducing obstacles to unity.
It was only the seventh meeting between spiritual leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches since the Great Schism split Christendom in 1054 after a host of theological disputes, including over the bodily nature of Christ.
"Exactly one year ago...we together addressed the people of God, almost presaging the beauty of the full communion to which we both aspire," the Pope said during the ceremony in St Peter's Basilica, Christendom's largest church.
He said that by 2000, the dawn of the third millennium of Christianity, "we can, if not completely united, at least be nearer to overcoming the divisions of the second milleminum."
The 76-year-old Pontiff, wearing resplendent red and white vestments, looked relatively fit as he slowly walked 100 metres (yards) up the church's main aisle before carefully mounting the eight steps to the main altar.
He then conferred the pallium, a circular band of white wool worn around the neck to symbolise unity with the papacy, on 29 new archbishops from around the world.
The colourful ceremony lasted about two-and-a-half hours, the Pope rising from his white throne to distribute communion to the faithful towards the end.
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