ECUMENISM: CATHOLIC-ORTHODOX MEETING ON OLD AGE OPENED IN ROME

Mercoledì 04 Maggio 2011

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“Christians, Catholics and Orthodox share love for the poor”. This morning, with those words, Card. Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for the promotion of Christian unity, opened the meeting named “The gift of old age. Orthodox and Catholics on the path to charity” in Rome, at the Trastevere seat of the Community of Sant’Egidio”. The Peace Room was crowded with the delegations of the Orthodox Patriarchates of Moscow, Ukraine and Romania, and the ambassadors of Romania, Brazil, Austria, France, Macedonia and Slovenia. The main report was entrusted to Filaret, Metropolitan of Minsk and Slutsk, Patriarchal Exarch of the whole Belorussia of the Patriarchate of Moscow. On introducing the works, Card. Koch recalled how the meeting of Sant’Egidio reached the second edition this year. One year ago, the Community’s theme for reflection was “The poor are the precious treasure of the Church”. This year, the choice was for the theme of the elderly people “because – said Koch – old age is a challenge of our time, with respect to which Christians can work together. Old people are a challenge for our European countries. For our societies, they are a request of love, but at the same time they are a resource of common sense in a world marked by pervasive materialism”.

Andrea Riccardi, the founder of the Community, did the honours of the house. “In love – he said – in the ocean of love, the differences between Christians are no longer an obstacle”. And he added: “In human relationships, there are many temptations. Quite often, they are temptations of political or ideological order, because man is a complex being. That is why we feel that the path of love is a decisive path overcoming indifference, in which prejudices disappear”. Hence the invitation to “be great in love”, which “for us means being humble, said Riccardi. John Paul II witnessed that for us. He constantly told us that Christianity is a humble force, which is nevertheless stronger than the arrogant in this world”. Therefore, the poor as measure of Christian love, even as “sacrament” because – concluded Riccardi – “the poor renders the world more human and the Christian more brothers”.

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