Pope Francis and Church of the East Patriarch Mar Curtis III Sign Joint Declaration on Middle East Christians

Pope Francis and Patriarch Mar Curtis III of the Church of the East signed a joint declaration at the Vatican on Friday, 9 November 2018. The two leaders met that morning, prayed for peace together, and then signed a statement of eight points. The source describes the declaration as focused on Christians of the Middle East who have suffered violence and persecution, and on the churches’ work and prayer on their behalf.

The declaration noted the growing closeness of the two churches over recent decades. It recalled the first meeting in 1984 between Pope John Paul II and a patriarch of the Church of the East, which began a process of dialogue. Pope Francis and Mar Curtis expressed gratitude for the fruits of that dialogue, which they described as grounded in love and truth. They expressed hope that theological dialogue between the two churches would contribute to the day when they could celebrate the sacrifice of the altar together.

The leaders also addressed the Christian presence in the Middle East. They pointed to a Day of Meditation and Prayer for Peace in the Middle East held on 7 July 2018 in the Italian city of Bari, in which leaders of churches and Christian groups from the region took part. The declaration spoke of decades of violence, including wars and persecutions that had driven Christians from lands where they had lived alongside other religious groups. It said Christians, regardless of rite or tradition, had suffered for their faith in Jesus.

The declaration stated that the Middle East cannot be imagined without Christians, a conviction it grounded in social and cultural as well as religious terms. It said Christians and other believers contribute to the identity of the region as a place of mutual respect and acceptance. It also affirmed that the survival of Christians in the region is linked to the restoration of peace, and it prayed for peace in the region. According to the source, peace is achieved and maintained through mutual listening and dialogue, and the declaration called on the international community to reach a solution that recognizes the rights and obligations of all parties, a call to the peacemaking that the leaders regarded as essential (Matthew 5:9).

On the question of citizenship, the declaration called for guaranteed rights for everyone, respect for religious freedom, and equality before the law, based on citizenship regardless of ethnicity or religion. The source reports that it stressed Christians want to be considered not as a protected minority or a tolerated group, but as full citizens whose rights are guaranteed in the same way as those of other citizens. Pope Francis and Mar Curtis also emphasized interreligious dialogue, which they said must rest on openness, truth and love, and which they described as the best antidote to extremism.

At the close of the declaration, the two leaders prayed to the Holy Trinity for unity in diversity, asking that their hearts be strengthened to respond to the call for Christ’s disciples to be one.

Source: Read the original report (translated from Arabic)