Paterna caritas

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Paterna caritas (Fatherly love ...) is an encyclical of Pope Leo XIII. which he published on June 25, 1888 and in which he addressed the Patriarch of Cilicia and the Armenian clergy :

"To Our Venerable Brothers Stephen Peter Patriarch of Cilicia, the Archbishops, Bishops, and Beloved Sons the Clergy, Monks, and People of the Armenian Rite in Grace and Communion with the Apostolic See"

Desire for unity

He writes about the reunification of the rites between the Armenian Catholic Church and the Roman Catholic Church and asks that the community not be prevented. He stressed that now, after the reorganization of the dioceses , it was important to instruct all the brothers never to give up the zealous exhortation .

Rites of the oriental churches

Over the long period of history, several rites had developed in the oriental churches: The Chaldean rite is one of the five most important rites of the oriental churches, alongside the Alexandrian rite ( Coptic and Ethiopian churches), the Antiochian rite (Maronite and Syrian churches), the Armenian Rite and the Byzantine Rite.

About the close connection

The Pope describes and praises the long bond between the two churches and recalls his predecessors who granted the Armenian Catholic Church its privileges. He recalled that the synodal ordinances were recognized by the Patriarchs and were adopted during a visit to Rome. This commitment is part of a long tradition of the two churches, he emphasizes, and should not be sacrificed to the opponents of unity. He continues, the aim must be to maintain the unity of the Eastern Churches and their ties to Rome.

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