Cyprus is meant to be a place of peace, unity

Dec 03, 2021

By Elise Ann Allen
Shortly after arriving in Cyprus, which has been divided for nearly 50 years, Pope Francis told political and civil authorities on the island nation that peace and dialogue must be a priority.

Calling Cyprus “a country geographically small, but historically great,” the Pope, in his December 2 speech, said that through the centuries, the Mediterranean island nation “has not isolated peoples but brought them together.”

It is a place whose borders are the sea, and which is “the eastern gate of Europe and the western gate of the Middle East,” he said, calling Cyprus “an open door, a harbour that unites.”

“Cyprus, as a crossroads of civilisations, has an innate vocation to encounter,” he said.

Pope Francis arrived in Nicosia on Thursday, Dec 2, first meeting with priests, religious, deacons, catechists, and members of the Catholic community in Cyprus before holding a private meeting with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and meeting with civil authorities.

In his address to civil authorities and the diplomatic corps in Cyprus, the Pope pointed to the country’s first president, Makarios III, who was an Orthodox archbishop.

Noting that the word Makarios means “blessed” in Hebrew, Francis said those who are blessed above all are “the poor in spirit, those who have experienced suffering in their lives, those who live in meekness and mercy, all those who, without pretence, practise justice and are peacemakers.”

When the Beatitudes are lived out, the Gospel “becomes youthful and fills society with fresh hope,” he said, calling the Beatitudes a compass for the faith which “in every latitude indicates the routes that Christians must take in the voyage of life.”

“Precisely from this place, where Europe and the East meet, began the first great inculturation of the Gospel on this continent,” he said, and, referring to the natural beauty of Cyprus, said the island has a responsibility to be “a messenger of beauty among the continents”.

Calling Cyprus “a pearl of great price in the heart of the Mediterranean,” he noted that just as a pearl is forged over time, “So too, the beauty of this land comes from the cultures which over the centuries have met and blended here.”

“Today too, the light of Cyprus is richly variegated. Many peoples and nations have contributed different shades and tints to this people,” he said, noting that in terms of percentages, Cyprus is hosting more than any other country in the European Union.

In this context, preserving “the multicoloured and multifaceted beauty of the whole is no easy thing. As in the formation of a pearl, it takes time and patience; it demands a broad vision capable of embracing a variety of cultures and looking to the future with foresight,” he said.

Pope Francis stressed the need to both protect and support all members of society, particularly minorities, and advocated for “a suitable institutional recognition” to be given to the Catholic agencies that assist migrants and refugees, “so that the contribution they make to society through their activities, particularly their educational and charitable works, can be clearly defined from the legal standpoint.”

Pointing to the coronavirus pandemic and the social and economic crisis it has caused, the Pope insisted that recovery and growth will not come through “anxious efforts” to restore what was lost, but rather, through a common commitment “to promote the recovery of society” through the fight against corruption and “everything that violates the dignity of the person,” such as human trafficking.

Pope Francis then referenced the division of the island, saying that he is praying “for the peace of the entire island.”

Turning to the Mediterranean, which he said is “now sadly a place of conflicts and humanitarian tragedies,” Pope Francis said it is a sea that belongs to all who border it, “in order to be connected, not divided.”

“Cyprus, as a geographic, historical, cultural and religious crossroads, is in a position to be a peacemaker,” he said, noting that peace is often not achieved by big personalities, but is, rather, the product of “the daily determination of ordinary men and women.”

“The European continent needs reconciliation and unity; it needs courage and enthusiasm, if it is to move forward,” the Pope said, adding, “it will not be the walls of fear and the vetoes dictated by nationalist interests that ensure its progress, nor will economic recovery alone serve to guarantee its security and stability.”

“May we look to the history of Cyprus to see how encounter and welcome have brought forth good fruits that endure,” he said. --Crux