Pope calls on Holy Land Catholics
to be examples of 'loving union'
The website of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which encompasses the Catholic Church in Cyprus, published today the Holy Father's letter after the apostolic visit to Cyprus from June 4-6 last month. The letter was dated June 7.
To His Beatitude Fouad Twal
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
I am writing to thank you sincerely for the warm welcome I received from you and from the flock entrusted to your care during my recent Apostolic Visit to the Republic of Cyprus.
It was with great personal satisfaction that I was able to see at first hand how, under your attentive pastoral care, many Cypriot Latins of ancient origin have remained faithful to their rich heritage. Please extend to them my fatherly prayers and good wishes for their health and prosperity.
At the same time, it was most gratifying to learn of how the numbers of the Catholic community have swelled by Latin residents and immigrants from other continents, including Europe, Africa and Asia.
It is my fervent prayer that all the Latin Catholics in the Holy Land, with their respective languages, customs and traditions, will strive to collaborate happily as brothers and sisters and become a shining example of the unbreakable bonds of loving union which are true marks of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
To you and to the faithful entrusted to your care I willingly impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of grace and peace in the Lord.
From the Vatican, 7 June 2010
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 13/07/2010 03:40]