Francis to the Coptic Pope: “Sustained by the ecumenism of blood”
The embrace of Francis with Tawdros: “The innocent blood of the
martyrs unites us. Your sufferings are also our sufferings”. The
Signing of a Joint Declaration. Among its 12 points the commitment of
the Coptict Church not to repeat the baptism to those who come from
another Christian confession.
Heretics and Schismatics are not in the Body of Christ. If they do not repent they will not die for Christ and obtain salvation that is Catholic teaching. Francis heretically teaches otherwise. The NWO continues to use "terror attacks" to solidify a "united humanity". The False Prophet is not far off.
“The deepening progress of our ecumenical journey
is also sustained, in mysterious and quite relevant way, by a genuine
ecumenism of blood.” In the patriarchal residence of Pope
Tawadros II, which rises in the old Christian Cairo and includes the
cathedral dedicated to Saint Mark, Pope Francis holds his last meeting
of his first day in Egypt. Here, in December 2016, during the
celebrations for Mawalid, the anniversary of Muhammad’s birth, a bomb
exploded at a very short distance from the patriarch’s offices, causing
29 dead and 31 injured among the faithful.
After a private encounter, Tawadros addressed his welcome speech to the Pontiff: “You have followed the footsteps and paths of your intercessor Francis of Assisi. Almost a thousand years ago he also stopped in Egypt and together with Sultan Al Kamel made one of the most important experiences of intercultural dialogue in history, a dialogue that is renewed today (NOT HARDLY) with your visit and confirms that it is the way and the bridge that unites peoples and a constant hope of humanity over the centuries ». Then he added, “We do not hide, Holiness, that in recent months our Church and our homeland have experienced dramatic and painful experiences when the guilty hand of terrorism has armed itself to kill innocent people who were praying without fear in the company of their Savior”. The words of Tawadros II refer to the Palm Sunday attacks against the Coptic Churches of Alexandria and Tanta, claimed by the self-proclaimed Islamic State. In these times “the true value of the Egyptian people, united in joy and sorrow, reveals itself, announcing to the whole world that our misfortune and sorrow are those of a united and compact homeland”, the Coptic Patriarch continued. “Criminal Minds will never break or undermine the hearts of citizens whose value is an example for all generations.”
“I am deeply grateful:” said Francis, “in coming here as a pilgrim, I was sure of receiving the blessing of a brother who awaited me. I have eagerly looked forward to this new meeting, for I vividly recall the visit Your Holiness made to Rome shortly after my election, on 10 May 2013. That date has happily become the occasion for celebrating an annual Day of Friendship between Copts and Catholics.”
The Pope therefore recalled “that milestone in relations between the See of Peter and Mark,” which is the Common Declaration signed by our predecessors more than forty years ago, on 10 May 1973. After “centuries of difficult history” marked by increasing “theological differences, nourished and widened by non-theological factors”, and growing mistrust, we were able that day, with God’s help, to acknowledge together that Christ is “perfect God with respect to his divinity and perfect man with respect to his humanity.” “Together we have confessed - added Bergoglio - that we belong to Jesus and that he is our all.. .What is more, we realized that, because we belong to him, we can no longer think that each can go his own way, for that would betray his will.” The Pontiff explained then that not only is there an ecumenism of gestures, words and commitment, but an already effective communion that grows daily in living relation with the Lord Jesus, is rooted in the faith we profess and is truly grounded on our baptism.” (Faith is not maintained by mere baptism YOU MUST ACTUALLY HOLD THE CATHOLIC FAITH TO BE IN THE BODY OF CHRIST; THIS IS CATHOLICISM 101 WHICH BERGOGLIO DOESNT PROFESS)
“Together, then, we are called to bear witness to him,” he continued, “ to carry our faith to the world, especially in the way it is meant to be brought: by living it, so that Jesus’ presence can be communicated with life and speak the language of gratuitous and concrete love. As Coptic Orthodox and Catholics, we can always join in speaking this common language of charity: before undertaking a charitable work, we would do well to ask if we can do it together with our brothers and sisters who share our faith in Jesus.
After acknowledging Tawadros’ “genuine and fraternal” attention to the Catholic Coptic Church, Francis spoke of martyrdom. “The deepening progress of our ecumenical journey is also sustained, in mysterious and quite relevant way, by a genuine ecumenism of blood. How many martyrs in this land, from the first centuries of Christianity, have lived their faith heroically to the end, shedding their blood rather than denying the Lord and yielding to the enticements of evil, or merely to the temptation of repaying evil with evil! The venerable Martyrology of the Coptic Church bears eloquent witness to this.
“Even in recent days, tragically, the innocent blood of defenseless Christians was cruelly shed: their innocent blood unites us (NO IT DOESNT). Most dear brother, just as the heavenly Jerusalem is one, so too is our martyrology; your sufferings are also our sufferings. Strengthened by this witness, let us strive to oppose violence by preaching and sowing goodness, fostering concord and preserving unity, praying that all these sacrifices may open the way to a future of full communion between us and of peace for all.”
At the end of the meeting, Francesco and Tawadros signed a joint statement in 12 points, from which emerges the great approach made over the last few years which has led to the elimination of almost all theological differences. The most significant paragraph is the one before the last one in which the theme of baptism is addressed. For church practice, the Coptic Church sometimes renews baptism when Christians belonging to other Churches asking to become Coptic Orthodox “In obedience to the work of the Holy Spirit, who sanctifies the Church, keeps her throughout the ages, and leads her to full unity”, the Pope of Rome and the Coptic Pope have signed, “in order to please the heart of the Lord Jesus, as well as that of our sons and daughters in the faith, mutually declare that we, with one mind and heart, will seek sincerely not to repeat the baptism that has been administered in either of our Churches for any person who wishes to join the other. This we confess in obedience to the Holy Scriptures and the faith of the three Ecumenical Councils assembled in Nicaea, Constantinople and Ephesus.”
The “Song of the Martyrs” concluded the ecumenical procession in the church of St. Peter, in the ancient Christian side of Cairo, to which, besides Pope Francis and Pope Tawadros, attended also the patriarch of Constantinople Bartolomeo, the Catholic Coptic patriarch Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak and the Syrian Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, Gregory III Laham. Pope Francis prayed in Spanish in the church of St. Peter: “Lord Jesus, I ask you to bless us all. Bless my brother Pope Tawadros II, bless all the bishops here, and bless all my Christian brothers. Take us along the path of charity, to work together, towards the common Eucharist table.” In the hall outside the Church, the two Popes payed tribute with flowers and a lid candle to the victims of a bloody suicide attack by a 22-year-old affiliate to Isis, which caused 29 dead and 31 injured. Their photos are displayed on a panel beside a sculpture, which remembers their names.
After a private encounter, Tawadros addressed his welcome speech to the Pontiff: “You have followed the footsteps and paths of your intercessor Francis of Assisi. Almost a thousand years ago he also stopped in Egypt and together with Sultan Al Kamel made one of the most important experiences of intercultural dialogue in history, a dialogue that is renewed today (NOT HARDLY) with your visit and confirms that it is the way and the bridge that unites peoples and a constant hope of humanity over the centuries ». Then he added, “We do not hide, Holiness, that in recent months our Church and our homeland have experienced dramatic and painful experiences when the guilty hand of terrorism has armed itself to kill innocent people who were praying without fear in the company of their Savior”. The words of Tawadros II refer to the Palm Sunday attacks against the Coptic Churches of Alexandria and Tanta, claimed by the self-proclaimed Islamic State. In these times “the true value of the Egyptian people, united in joy and sorrow, reveals itself, announcing to the whole world that our misfortune and sorrow are those of a united and compact homeland”, the Coptic Patriarch continued. “Criminal Minds will never break or undermine the hearts of citizens whose value is an example for all generations.”
“I am deeply grateful:” said Francis, “in coming here as a pilgrim, I was sure of receiving the blessing of a brother who awaited me. I have eagerly looked forward to this new meeting, for I vividly recall the visit Your Holiness made to Rome shortly after my election, on 10 May 2013. That date has happily become the occasion for celebrating an annual Day of Friendship between Copts and Catholics.”
The Pope therefore recalled “that milestone in relations between the See of Peter and Mark,” which is the Common Declaration signed by our predecessors more than forty years ago, on 10 May 1973. After “centuries of difficult history” marked by increasing “theological differences, nourished and widened by non-theological factors”, and growing mistrust, we were able that day, with God’s help, to acknowledge together that Christ is “perfect God with respect to his divinity and perfect man with respect to his humanity.” “Together we have confessed - added Bergoglio - that we belong to Jesus and that he is our all.. .What is more, we realized that, because we belong to him, we can no longer think that each can go his own way, for that would betray his will.” The Pontiff explained then that not only is there an ecumenism of gestures, words and commitment, but an already effective communion that grows daily in living relation with the Lord Jesus, is rooted in the faith we profess and is truly grounded on our baptism.” (Faith is not maintained by mere baptism YOU MUST ACTUALLY HOLD THE CATHOLIC FAITH TO BE IN THE BODY OF CHRIST; THIS IS CATHOLICISM 101 WHICH BERGOGLIO DOESNT PROFESS)
“Together, then, we are called to bear witness to him,” he continued, “ to carry our faith to the world, especially in the way it is meant to be brought: by living it, so that Jesus’ presence can be communicated with life and speak the language of gratuitous and concrete love. As Coptic Orthodox and Catholics, we can always join in speaking this common language of charity: before undertaking a charitable work, we would do well to ask if we can do it together with our brothers and sisters who share our faith in Jesus.
After acknowledging Tawadros’ “genuine and fraternal” attention to the Catholic Coptic Church, Francis spoke of martyrdom. “The deepening progress of our ecumenical journey is also sustained, in mysterious and quite relevant way, by a genuine ecumenism of blood. How many martyrs in this land, from the first centuries of Christianity, have lived their faith heroically to the end, shedding their blood rather than denying the Lord and yielding to the enticements of evil, or merely to the temptation of repaying evil with evil! The venerable Martyrology of the Coptic Church bears eloquent witness to this.
“Even in recent days, tragically, the innocent blood of defenseless Christians was cruelly shed: their innocent blood unites us (NO IT DOESNT). Most dear brother, just as the heavenly Jerusalem is one, so too is our martyrology; your sufferings are also our sufferings. Strengthened by this witness, let us strive to oppose violence by preaching and sowing goodness, fostering concord and preserving unity, praying that all these sacrifices may open the way to a future of full communion between us and of peace for all.”
At the end of the meeting, Francesco and Tawadros signed a joint statement in 12 points, from which emerges the great approach made over the last few years which has led to the elimination of almost all theological differences. The most significant paragraph is the one before the last one in which the theme of baptism is addressed. For church practice, the Coptic Church sometimes renews baptism when Christians belonging to other Churches asking to become Coptic Orthodox “In obedience to the work of the Holy Spirit, who sanctifies the Church, keeps her throughout the ages, and leads her to full unity”, the Pope of Rome and the Coptic Pope have signed, “in order to please the heart of the Lord Jesus, as well as that of our sons and daughters in the faith, mutually declare that we, with one mind and heart, will seek sincerely not to repeat the baptism that has been administered in either of our Churches for any person who wishes to join the other. This we confess in obedience to the Holy Scriptures and the faith of the three Ecumenical Councils assembled in Nicaea, Constantinople and Ephesus.”
The “Song of the Martyrs” concluded the ecumenical procession in the church of St. Peter, in the ancient Christian side of Cairo, to which, besides Pope Francis and Pope Tawadros, attended also the patriarch of Constantinople Bartolomeo, the Catholic Coptic patriarch Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak and the Syrian Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, Gregory III Laham. Pope Francis prayed in Spanish in the church of St. Peter: “Lord Jesus, I ask you to bless us all. Bless my brother Pope Tawadros II, bless all the bishops here, and bless all my Christian brothers. Take us along the path of charity, to work together, towards the common Eucharist table.” In the hall outside the Church, the two Popes payed tribute with flowers and a lid candle to the victims of a bloody suicide attack by a 22-year-old affiliate to Isis, which caused 29 dead and 31 injured. Their photos are displayed on a panel beside a sculpture, which remembers their names.
TCK: See my two blogs below for all the quotes condemning this heresy.
There are also some among the heretics who ... flatter themselves with
claims of martyrdom ... But not all who submit their bodies to
suffering, even to flames, are to be considered as having as having
shed their blood for their sheep; rather, they may have shed it against
the salvation of their sheep, for the Apostle says: "If I should
deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profits me
nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:3). And how can he have the faintest charity
in him who, though shown to be at fault, yet has no love for that unity
which the Lord chose to recommend? Indeed, so long as you remain
outside the Church and severed from the fabric of unity and bond of
charity, you will be punished with everlasting chastisement, even if
you were burned alive for the sake of Christ.
- St. Augustine
- St. Augustine