Zadar, (IKA) – On October 7, the Archbishop of Zadar, Msgr. Želimir Puljić, turned relics of St. Simeon, the New Testament prophet who in the temple of Jerusalem held the Child Jesus in his arms forty days after his birth and recognized him as the Messiah, to a delegation from the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilus III, consisting of the Archbishop of Jordan, Theophylactos, accompanied by Archimandrite Macarius of Qatar. During the introduction to the Rite of Solemn Vespers on the eve of the Feast of St. Simeon, a patron saint of the city of Zadar who has been venerated by its people since the ninth century, Msgr. Puljić greeted those assembled in an allusion to the words of St. Paul to the Corinthians: “‘May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of us.’ Aware of this grace, we have prayed for [Him to grant] peace and unity to our Christian Church. In the atmosphere of the Father’s love and the proximity of St. Simeon, who was a friend and collaborator of the Holy Spirit, I warmly welcome everyone,” said Msgr. Puljić. The celebration was attended by numerous priests, Bishop Mile Bogović of Gospić-Senj, Dr. Ante Nediljko Ančić of the Council for Ecumenism of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, Bishop Photius of Dalmatia, Archpriest Petar Jovanović of Zadar, religious, theologians, seminarians and worshippers, including members of the Orthodox community of Zadar, County Prefect Stipe Zrilić of Zadar and Mayor Zvonimir Vrančić of Zadar.
“This is a great and significant event that will be inscribed in golden letters on the pages of the history of the Church of Jerusalem. You cannot imagine, perhaps you can only think about, what a joy this will be for the Christians who live in the Holy Land, as well as all the pilgrims from the whole world who come by the thousands every day to bow before the sacred places in the Holy Land. Sacred relics have particular importance to Orthodox Christians, through which we express our veneration of a saint. We believe that everyone who bows down and kisses holy relics receives the blessing of the saint, for the salvation of the soul for many years,” said Archbishop Theophylactos, expressing his great gratitude for the relics. He also conveyed the greetings, blessing and joy of Patriarch Theophilus III, the members of the Holy Assembly and all the Christians of the Church of Jerusalem. During the evening hours of the Feast of St. Simeon, Friday, October 8, Archbishop Theophylactos will turn the holy relics over to the Abbot Theodorite of the monastery of St. Simeon, which is located in the western part of Jerusalem. A welcoming celebration will be held for the relics, which will be venerated by priests, monks, the local population and pilgrims. At the site of the grave of St. Simeon, Queen Jelena had a church built in the fourth century. More than once, it was destroyed by various invaders. Today’s monastery was built on the foundations of the old church.
Following the Prayer of Repentance, Archbishop Theophylactos and Archbishop Puljić exchanged the kiss of peace and Vespers were chanted. “We have been assembled by the heavenly protector whose body lies in the silver-gilt sarcophagus built in 1380 by a local master goldsmith, Francesco da Milano. The sarcophagus was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth, the daughter of Stephen II Kotromanić, Ban of Bosnia, who was the wife of Louis of Anjou, King of Hungary-Croatia and Poland. The sarcophagus is testimony to the level of the queen’s artistic taste and faith. She came to Zadar to venerate the bones of St. Simeon and to ask for the saint’s intercession in prayer for her family and royal matters,” said Msgr. Puljić in his introductory remarks, and urged the people to pray for the intercession of the dear patron saint in their personal and family prayers and desires. “We particularly pray for his intercession in the Prayer of the Faithful of the Churches of Jerusalem and Zadar. The local Church, ecclesia Iadrensis, rejoices that it is able to give its sister Church of Jerusalem, which safeguards the empty grave of Simeon the Elder, a piece of his body for veneration. In this way, the two Churches will from now on be connected by the veneration of the saint who held Jesus in his arms and proclaimed him as a light of revelation to the people,” said Msgr. Puljić. At the beginning of the ceremony, the Administrator of the Shrine of St. Simeon in Zadar and the Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Zadar, Fr. Josip Lenkić, placed the relics of the saint in front of the sarcophagus of St. Simeon, which were then revealed when he and the General Vicar of the Archdiocese of Zadar, Fr. Milivoj Bolobanić, opened a curtain. After readings in the Greek and Croatian languages (Heb 4,15-16) and a dialogue between Fr. Lenkić and Msgr. Puljić in which the archbishop commanded by virtue of his apostolic authority for a small part of St. Simeon to be given to the Church of the Holy City of Jerusalem, Fr. Lenkić brought the reliquary to a stand in front of the altar and opened it to reveal the silver container with the relics. The Administrator of the Shrine read the Certificate of Authentication in the Latin and Croatian languages, which he showed to the priests, delegation and the people. After the Lord’s Prayer, Msgr. Puljić turned the reliquary over to Archbishop Theophylactos. Then Archimandrite Macarius sang the Troparian and Kontakion of St. Simeon the Godbearer. Following the ceremony, Archbishop Theophylactos carried the relics in a procession among the people through the shrine to the sacristy.
The visit by the delegation from the Greek Orthodox Church is a contribution to the cooperation between the two Churches, said Msgr. Puljić, expressing the hope that it will encourage believers from both communities to profess their faith in the Resurrected Christ. “It is precisely that faith in the Risen Lord that was the basis for the preparations for this significant meeting,” said Msgr. Puljić, urging the faithful to pray to Mary, whom together with Orthodox Christians we venerate as the Mother of God. In the Patristic writings, she is described as the Virgin who prays, listens, sacrifices and offers. “She has become a model of how to celebrate and give thanks to God for the immense works that He performs in us. Let her also invite us to gather around her as in apostolic times, when all were steadfast in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus,” said Msgr. Puljić, praying to the Mother of the Apostle to protect and intercede for the faithful of the Churches of Jerusalem and Zadar. Archbishop Puljić recalled that in Strasbourg on April 22, 2001, the presidents of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) and the Conference of European Churches (CEC) signed the Charta Oecumenica, Guidelines for the Growing Cooperation among Churches in Europe, in the spirit of Paul’s recommendations to the Ephesians: “Strive to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace.” The Charta Oecumenica emphasizes the tasks of moving towards one other, acting together and praying together. “Ecumenism lives from walking together, especially when listening to the Word of God and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us. Despite the painful fact that there is no Eucharistic community among Christians, nevertheless various forms of ecumenical worship, common songs and prayers, especially the Lord’s Prayer, characterize our spiritual bond. That is why it is a Christian obligation to pray for each other, especially for Christian unity,” said Msgr. Puljić, and added: “Although the long period of divisions is not conducive to ecumenism, Christians must not tire of spreading love, tolerance and forgiveness. Catholic and Orthodox Christians are especially called to do so because they are bound by the same books and traditions, Kerygma and liturgies, and the Magisterium of the first seven common councils.”