NEW: Joint (Havana) Declaration by Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill

Hope and Life Press, in conjunction with the Libreria Editrice Vaticana, is pleased to announce the release of the English language edition of the Joint Declaration by Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill, that was given 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." The Joint Declaration is available in ebook edition from Amazon, major booksellers and directly from the publishers.