This item below was posted this morning on the Vatican's website (original language, Italian, of course):COMMUNIQUE OF THE PRESS OFFICE: THE VISIT OF A DELEGATION OF THE HOLY SEE TO THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE OF CONSTANTINOPLE ON THE OCCASION OF THE FEAST OF ST ANDREW (29 NOVEMBER—1 DECEMBER 2010)
In the context of the exchange of Delegations for the respective feasts of the Patronal Saints, 29 June at Rome for the celebration of Ss Peter and Paul and 30 November at Istanbul for the celebration of St Andrew, Cardinal Kurt Koch this year leads the Delegation of the Holy See for the Feast of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity is accompanied by Bp Brian Farrell, secretary of the Council, and Rev Andrea Pelmieri, official for the Oriental [Eastern] department of the same Council. At Istanbul, the delegation will be joined by the Apostolic Nuncio to Turkey, Abp Antonio Lucibello.
In the context of the exchange of Delegations for the respective feasts of the Patronal Saints, 29 June at Rome for the celebration of Ss Peter and Paul and 30 November at Istanbul for the celebration of St Andrew, Cardinal Kurt Koch this year leads the Delegation of the Holy See for the Feast of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity is accompanied by Bp Brian Farrell, secretary of the Council, and Rev Andrea Pelmieri, official for the Oriental [Eastern] department of the same Council. At Istanbul, the delegation will be joined by the Apostolic Nuncio to Turkey, Abp Antonio Lucibello.
Visits like these are the least we can do, as Sister-Churches, and there is hope we will be able to do more and more. Certainly that is the hope here in Mobile between myself and Fr Elias, the pastor of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation.
What is, to me, of more than symbolic significance is the fact that these two patronal feast days are celebrations of brothers. Both died for our Lord, and both according to tradition were martyred strangely by crucifixion (Peter upside down; Andrew on a X-shaped cross). It was Andrew (in John's Gospel) who brought Simon Peter to Jesus in the first place. How much more should we be willing to live together in Him, when they were gladly willing to die for Him?
May the Holy Spirit bless us soon with the surprising gift of break-through to unity, and may we be open to embracing this gift. Though it is actually the motto of our Christian-Jewish Dialogue here in Mobile, the sentiment still fits here: "Hands that reach will touch."
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