Joint Declaration by Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill

The Joint (Havana) Declaration given and signed by Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill on the occasion of the first meeting in years between the leader of the Catholic Church and the leader of the Moscow Patriarchate. This landmark 30-point declaration contains a joint call by the two church primates for an end to the persecution of Christians in the Middle East and to wars in the region, expressing their hope that the meeting might contribute to the re-establishment of Christian unity between the two churches. A range of other issues are mentioned including atheism, secularism, consumerism, migrants and refugees, the importance of marriage and the family, and concerns relating to abortion and euthanasia. The declaration issues a call to Catholics and Orthodox to "work together fraternally in proclaiming the Good News of salvation" and to "give shared witness to the Spirit of truth in these difficult times."