COMMUNIQUE
From the Ecumenical and Antiochian Patriarchates.
To read Article in Arabic as Publishe by An-Nahar click here
The Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Patriarchate of Antioch, officially opened the spiritual celebration of the 2000 year anniversary of the incarnation of the Savior Christ. On June 29, 1999, the primates, His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius of Antioch, formally opened these festivities during the festal concelebration of the feast day of Sts. Peter and Paul, in the Church of the Chiefs of the Apostles Peter and Paul in Antioch -- where those who believed in Christ were first called Christians.
His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius of Antioch visited the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in the Phanar region of Istanbul where for two days he was received by him with honor. They had heartfelt and edifying discussions concerning many ecclesiastical issues, and His Beatitude openly invited the Ecumenical Patriarch to visit Antioch, the first ancient seat of his Church, in which many Orthodox Christians live, and to concelebrate with him during the feast day of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. His All Holiness eagerly accepted this invitation, and arrived in Antioch with His Beatitude on the eve of the feast day, June 28, 1999, during which His Beatitude presided at thefestal vespers. With him, Patriarch Bartholomew inaugurated the new Hall "St. Ignatius" of the Orthodox community and was also present at the reception.
At the completion of the festivities the two primates addressed the Christ-named pleroma and chosen people with the following message:
"Thanking the Lord and God, in all solemnity, for the incarnation of His Son and Word two-thousand years ago, which indicated the good will of God to all people, which was realized, as well as peace on earth, which unfortunately is still expected, because humanity has not accepted His peace-creating kerygma, together we fervently supplicate the Lord that He might grant humanity peace and cooperation.
We also appeal to all good-intentioned people of the earth to work toward peaceful cooperation and the peaceful resolution to human differences. We also entreat faithful Christians to extend their prayers to God on behalf of the world and for the unity of the Churches.
Expressing once more the excellent relations of the two Patriarchates, Constantinople and Antioch, as well as their centuries-old peaceful cooperation, we greet the people of God and call them to repentance and a life of total conformity to the Gospel sothat in such a way we might offer love back to the Savior Christ, for motivated by it He was incarnate and became man offering himself as a sacrifice on behalf of the world.
+ Bartholomew of Constantinople +Ignatius of Antioch
In Antioch, June 29, 1999
