A common vision of Fraternity and Peace, in the letter of Patriarch Bartholomew I to Andrea Riccardi, following the Meeting for Peace in Rome

The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople, was among the main guests of the International Meeting of Prayer for Peace held in Rome last October, with the theme "No one is saved alone. Peace and Fraternity".
The importance of this moment was highlighted in a letter (published below) to Andrea Riccardi
:

To the esteemed Professor Andrea Riccardi, Founder of the Community of Sant'Egidio, our beloved in the Lord: Grace be to you and peace from God.

We take immense pleasure in addressing this Patriarchal missive of thanksgiving, in order to express our gratitude to you and to  the Community of Sant'Egidio for your generous invitation and hospitality in hosting our Modesty, as well as  religious leaders of all faith traditions during this year's International Meeting of Prayer  for  Peace, titled  “No One  is  Saved  Alone: Peace and Fraternity”.

Indeed, it was a tru e joy to share in the brotherhood of love, which defines your Community, and to participate in such monumental and well-received discourse that strikes at the very heart - the very essence - of the Gospel message. In our sacred responsibility to ''give an answer to everyone, who asks us to give the reason for the hope that we have - and to do this with gentleness and respect" (l Peter 3:15) we rejoiced in taking the opportunity to strengthen fraternal bonds.

From our Sacred Centre, \ve entreat our Lord to continue to bless your venerable Community, and to help us all to enact the common vision that we share, and which was best articulated by  our Lord before His Passion, “that all may beone, so that the world may believed that you sent me” (John 17:21). 

from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the 2nd of November, 2020

Prayerfully yours,


BARTHOLOMEW
Archbishop o/Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenica! Patriarch