Follow the mail on Twitter.

• +
• -
• Text size

Related content

Topic tags

Cyprus

Pope Benedict enters the Holy Cross Catholic Church in Nicosia's Green Line

A colourful performance by pupils at the Maron school in honour of the Pope

The Pontiff at the Archbishopric with Cyprus Church leader Chrysostomos

The Pope blesses a child

President Demetris Christofias guides the Pope along

Pope Benedict leaving the Presidential Palace

POPE BENEDICT XVI yesterday signalled the need for “moral rectitude and impartial respect for others” in political and diplomatic affairs to promote harmony in the troubled regions of the world.

Addressing President Demetris Christofias and members of the civil, political and diplomatic corps at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, the Pope drew upon ancient Greek philosophers to note that “the common good is served precisely by the influence of people endowed with clear moral insight and courage”.

For his part, Christofias said Cyprus’ geographic position and its multi-religious history demonstrated that “Cyprus can become a bridge which unites different worlds”.

He noted that: “Cyprus aspires to and can become a model for the ‘civilisation of co-existence’, the civilisation of the future.”

The president welcomed the Pope’s arrival which added “moral and spiritual prestige” to the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus.

During the first ever visit of a Pope to Cyprus, Benedict expounded on the need for policies to be placed on a more solid basis, becoming “purified of selfish interests or partisan pressures”

He added that “moral rectitude and impartial respect for others and their well-being are essential to the good of any society” since they establish a climate of trust in which all human interactions are strengthened.

The Pope suggested three ways in which “moral truth” could spread harmony around the world.

First, officials need to act responsibly on the basis of factual knowledge, so that they may “consider dispassionately the concerns of all involved in a given dispute”. The Pontiff called on involved parties to “rise above their own particular view of events” and acquire an objective and comprehensive vision. Those tasked with resolving such disputes can make “just decisions and promote genuine reconciliation when they grasp and acknowledge the full truth of a specific question”, he said.

“A second way of promoting moral truth consists in deconstructing political ideologies which would supplant the truth. The tragic experiences of the twentieth century have laid bare the inhumanity which follows from the suppression of truth and human dignity,” he added.

A third call was to base positive law upon ethical principles of natural law. “Individuals, communities and states, without guidance from objectively moral truths, would become selfish and unscrupulous and the world a more dangerous place to live,” he warned.

In his address, the Pope called on the public officials present to “be committed to serving the good of others in society, whether at the local, national or international level.”

He pointed to the importance of truth, integrity and respect in public service and in building personal relationships with others. “In countries with delicate political situations, such honest and open personal relationships can be the beginning of a much greater good for entire societies and peoples.”

The Pope encouraged all present at the Palace to seize the opportunities both personally and institutionally to build these relationships “and, in so doing, to foster the greater good of the concert of nations and the true good of those whom you represent”.

The president echoed the call for stable moral values in international relations, using his address to sound the alarm on the effects of globalisation and open economies.

“Moral decadence and the prevalence of extreme materialism, as well as market anarchy and the pursuit of profit at any cost alienate both man and society,” he said. Christofias also referred to the continued occupation of the Turkish army, saying it was “particularly disturbing that for 36 years our cultural and religious heritage in the occupied areas is being destroyed” adding “this constitutes a loss for mankind in general”.

He called on the Pope to pray for peace in Cyprus as well as the Middle East. Stressing his dedication to peace, Christofias called on the international community to exert its influence on Turkey.

“It is high time that everyone realises that compliance with international law is more important than serving the narrow interests relating to the geostrategic position of Turkey.

“Otherwise, justice and stability in the whole area of the Eastern Mediterranean will be jeopardized. The recent distressing developments in Gaza should make everyone stop and think.”

Later in the day, the Pope visited the Archbishopric where he was met by the Holy Synod, bar five dissenting bishops. In his address to Archbishop Chrysostomos II, the Pontiff thanked the Church of Cyprus for its support to the work of dialogue.

Chrysostomos has carved an unlikely role for himself as mediator between the Churches of the East and West, and has received plaudits for his efforts to bridge the gap between the two sides.

On Cyprus, the Pope prayed that “all the inhabitants of Cyprus, with God’s help, will find the wisdom and strength needed to work together for a just settlement of issues remaining to be resolved, to strive for peace and reconciliation, and to build for future generations a society distinguished by respect for the rights of all, including the inalienable rights to freedom of conscience and freedom of worship.”

At the Saint Maron’s School in Anthoupoli, the Pope drew attention “to an essential part of our Church’s life and mission, namely the search for greater unity in charity with other Christians and dialogue with those who are not Christians”.

The Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus Youssef Soueif called on the Pope to help the Maronites to return to their four villages in the north, adding that his visit to Cyprus “is really a sign of love, of concern, of attention to our small-big island”.

Choosing not to talk in specifics about the island’s conflict, in contrast to Chrysostomos on Friday, Soueif called for openness and dialogue, highlighting the island’s values of “multiculturalism and dialogue of life, despite the difficulties of some periods from which we must take lessons.”