POPE VOICES DESIRE TO MEND A 1,500-YEAR SPLIT

Zenit News Agency, Italy
March 21 2006

Promotes Unity With Armenian Apostolic Church

VATICAN CITY, MARCH 20, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI signals
his desire to promote unity with the Armenian Apostolic Church,
a Christian confession that separated from Rome in the fifth century.

The Pope expressed his desire for unity today when he received in
audience His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni, Catholic patriarch
of Cilicia of the Armenians, Lebanon, with members of the patriarchal
synod and a group of pilgrims.

The Mideast-based patriarch leads 600,000 Catholic faithful in
communion with Rome, assisted by 120 priests and about 90 women
religious, according to Vatican Radio.

By contrast, more than 90% of the Armenian Christians are under the
Armenian Apostolic Patriarchate, which separated from Rome after
the Council of Chalcedon in 451. A key step toward overcoming this
division was taken in 1996 when Pope John Paul II and Patriarch
Karekin I signed a joint declaration on the nature of Jesus.

Benedict XVI, in his address to guests of the Armenian Catholic Church
in communion with Rome, recalled the sufferings of the Armenian people
“in the name of the Christian faith.”

At the same time the Holy Father manifested his satisfaction because
in recent years “a cordial and fruitful dialogue” has begun among
the Armenian Christians for unity with Rome.

“I encourage this renewed fraternity and collaboration hoping that it
may give rise to new initiatives for a joint journey towards full
unity,” he said, “with its own hierarchy, in fraternal interior
harmony and full communion with the Bishop of Rome.”

Benedict XVI concluded: “We all wish to be instruments at the disposal
of Christ. May he — who is the Way, Truth and Life — enable us to
continue with all our strength, so that, as soon as possible, there
may be one flock with one pastor.”
From: Baghdasarian