In a gesture of ecclesiastical fraternity, Pope Francis sent a heartfelt message to His All Holiness Bartholomew, Ecumenical Patriarch, on the feast of Saint Andrew. 

The message, part of a traditional exchange of delegations for the feasts of their respective patron saints, was delivered by Cardinal Kurt Koch, who led the Holy See’s delegation to Istanbul for the celebrations at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George.

In his message, Pope Francis reflected on the historic meeting between Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras in 1964, stating, “That encounter was a vital step forward in breaking down the barrier of misunderstanding, distrust and even hostility that had existed for almost a millennium.” He highlighted the significance of their embrace, a symbol of ecclesial fraternity and mutual recognition.

Pope Francis underscored the importance of personal relationships in the journey toward full communion, saying, “All authentic paths to the restoration of full communion among the Lord’s disciples are characterized by personal contact and time spent together.” He also stressed the role of dialogue, common prayer, and joint service in fostering deeper trust and shared hope in Christ’s message.

The Pope expressed his gratitude for the Patriarch’s involvement in the Ecumenical Prayer Vigil in Rome and his support for the ongoing synodal process in the Catholic Church. “Your personal support and that of the Ecumenical Patriarchate are a great source of encouragement for the fruitful continuation of the ongoing synodal process in the Catholic Church,” he noted.

Addressing current global challenges, Pope Francis prayed for peace and reconciliation, invoking the intercession of Saints Peter and Andrew: “Let us fervently pray to God, our merciful Father, that the clamour of arms, which brings only death and destruction, may cease, and that government and religious leaders may always seek the path of dialogue and reconciliation.”

Concluding his message, Pope Francis renewed his fervent good wishes and shared a symbolic embrace of peace in Christ our Lord with Patriarch Bartholomew, reaffirming the bond between the two Churches.

The full message from Pope Francis: 

To His All Holiness Bartholomew
Archbishop of Constantinople
Ecumenical Patriarch

Moved by heartfelt sentiments of fraternal affection, and mindful of the deep bonds of faith, hope and charity uniting the sister Churches of Rome and Constantinople, I send fervent good wishes to you, dear Brother in Christ, for the feast of the Apostle Saint Andrew, brother of Saint Peter and protokletos, heavenly patron and protector of the Church of Constantinople and the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

I likewise extend my greetings to the members of the Holy Synod, the clergy, monks and nuns and all the faithful gathered in the Patriarchal Church of Saint George on this solemn occasion.

Today’s feast precedes the commemoration of a truly historic event: the meeting between Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras in Jerusalem in January 1964. That encounter was a vital step forward in breaking down the barrier of misunderstanding, distrust and even hostility that had existed for almost a millennium. It is noteworthy that today we remember not so much the words and statements of those two prophetic Pastors, but above all their warm embrace. Indeed, it is highly significant that this journey of reconciliation, increasing closeness and overcoming of obstacles still impeding full visible communion, began with an embrace, a gesture that eloquently expresses the mutual recognition of ecclesial fraternity.

The example of Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras shows us that all authentic paths to the restoration of full communion among the Lord’s disciples are characterized by personal contact and time spent together. Moreover, through friendly dialogue, common prayer and joint action in service to humanity, especially those affected by poverty, violence, and exploitation, the members of the different Churches come to discover ever more deeply their shared trust in the loving providence of God the Father, their hope in the coming of the Kingdom inaugurated by Jesus Christ, and their common desire to exercise the virtue of charity inspired by the Holy Spirit.

With God’s help, we have been able to continue along the path laid out by our Venerable Predecessors, renewing many times the joy of meeting and embracing each other. In this regard, I am especially pleased to recall our recent encounter in Rome, and I renew my gratitude for your participation in the Ecumenical Prayer Vigil held on the eve of the opening of the 16th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, dedicated to the theme: “For a Synodal Church: communion, participation and mission”. Your personal support and that of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, expressed also through the participation of a fraternal delegate in the work of the Assembly, are a great source of encouragement for the fruitful continuation of the ongoing synodal process in the Catholic Church.

On this feast day of the Apostle Andrew, let us fervently pray to God, our merciful Father, that the clamour of arms, which brings only death and destruction, may cease, and that government and religious leaders may always seek the path of dialogue and reconciliation. May the holy Apostles Peter and Andrew intercede for all peoples and obtain for them the gifts of fraternal communion and peace.

Beloved brother in Christ, gladly renewing my most fervent good wishes, I exchange with you a fraternal embrace of peace in Christ our Lord.

Rome, Saint John Lateran, 30 November 2023