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Published by
Zenit.org,
September 13, 2004
John Paul II Mourns Death of
Orthodox Patriarch Petros VII
Recalls Bishop's Commitment to Christian Unity
VATICAN CITY,
SEPT. 13, 2004 (Zenit.org).-
John Paul II fondly recalled his exchanges of
letters and meetings with Orthodox Patriarch
Petros VII of Alexandria, who died Saturday in a
helicopter accident near Mount Athos.
In a message of sympathy addressed to the Holy
Synod of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of
Alexandria, the Pope also recalled the patriarch's
contribution to the promotion of Christian unity.
The helicopter in which the 55-year-old Petros was
traveling -- together with Metropolitans Irinaios
of Pelusium and Chrysostomos of Karthagena, Bishop
Nektarios of Madagascar, the patriarchal vicars of
Athens and Cyprus, and several associates and
family members -- crashed some 30 kilometers (18
miles) from the peninsula in northern Greece that
houses the famous Orthodox monasteries.
The accident is under investigation.
"The tragic death of Patriarch Petros VII," reads
the telegram sent by the Pope, "is a source of
great sorrow and grief for the Orthodox Sister
Churches of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, for
the Bishop of Rome and in the Catholic Church, and
for all those who esteemed the late Patriarch's
ministry to the Church in Africa and his
commitment to Christian unity."
"I myself recall with gratitude our fraternal
exchanges of letters, our spiritual closeness, the
participation of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate
of Alexandria on significant events like the
'World Day of Prayer for World Peace' in Assisi in
2002, and his constructive contribution to
theological dialogue in the Orthodox Churches as a
whole and with the International Mixed
Commission," recalled the Holy Father.
He added: "I pray that the Lord will grant 'grace
upon grace' to His faithful servant and will
welcome him and his earthly traveling companions
into the eternal light and peace reserved for
God's righteous ones. At the same time, I beseech
the spirit of wisdom to guide and sustain the
Patriarchate of Alexandria at this time of
sadness."
A native of Cyprus, Petros had been elected in
1997 to the Patriarchal See of Alexandria,
considered in the Orthodox Church the second for
spiritual authority, after Constantinople.
On Vatican Radio, Gennadios Zervos, metropolitan
for Italy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of
Constantinople, described the patriarch's death as
"a great loss for the Orthodox Church."
"He admired the messages of His Holiness John Paul
II and his efforts to attain Christian unity. He
was a great apostle of Christian unity," said the
metropolitan.
"In particular, he was a charitable man,"
Metropolitan Zervos said. "He established many
schools, hospitals and homes and assistance for
the elderly. He did much from the point of view of
social love."
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