The declaration commenced with a wish to reestablish Christian unity, stating a "determination to undertake all that is necessary to overcome the historical divergences we have inherited."

The religious leaders expressed the wish to combine the efforts of Orthodox and Catholics "to give witness to the Gospel of Christ and to the shared heritage of the Church of the first millennium, responding together to the challenges of the contemporary world" since "human civilization has entered into a period of epochal change."

After discussing the violent Christian persecution underway in the Middle East and North Africa, the Pope and Patriarch turned their attention to the West. "At the same time, we are concerned about the situation in many countries in which Christians are increasingly confronted by restrictions to religious freedom, to the right to witness to one's convictions and to live in conformity with them."

"In particular, we observe that the transformation of some countries into secularized societies, estranged from all reference to God and to His truth, constitutes a grave threat to religious freedom," they said. "It is a source of concern for us that there is a current curtailment of the rights of Christians, if not their outright discrimination, when certain political forces, guided by an often very aggressive secularist ideology, seek to relegate them to the margins of public life."

The declaration expresses concern about the "crisis in the family in many countries" and notes "Orthodox and Catholics share the same conception of the family."

"The family is based on marriage, an act of freely given and faithful love between a man and a woman," it says. "We regret that other forms of cohabitation have been placed on the same level as this union, while the concept, consecrated in the biblical tradition, of paternity and maternity as the distinct vocation of man and woman in marriage is being banished from the public conscience."

Marriage, they said, "is a path of holiness, testifying to the faithfulness of the spouses in their mutual interaction, to their openness to the procreation and rearing of their children, to solidarity between the generations and to respect for the weakest." It is "a school of love and faithfulness." Love, says the declaration, seals the union of the husband and wife "and teaches them to accept one another as a gift."

The Pope and Patriarch called for an end to abortion. "We call on all to respect the inalienable right to life," said the declaration. "Millions are denied the very right to be born into the world. The blood of the unborn cries out to God (cf. Gen 4:10)."

The declaration also condemned euthanasia and immoral reproductive technologies, which would include IVF and destructive research on human embryos...

Read more here.

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

228 Republicans Ask Supreme Court to Uphold Mississippi Abortion Ban in Case That Could Overturn Roe

Auditors Finish Counting Ballots in Arizona's Maricopa County; What's Next...

Victory for Individual Rights in Spain: Constitutional Tribunal Rules against a Regional Law Permitting Mandatory Vaccination

'Unnecessary, Misleading, Catastrophic': Senior European Physicians Co-Author Expert Statement on COVID Vaccine for Children

Facebook Whistleblower Turned Down $64G Severance Package That Would Have Bought Her Silence: Report

900+ Shootings in One Week: Lawlessness Escalates Across US as Police Departments Depleted

PRAY For Our Brothers and Sisters in Nigeria: Islamic Jihadists Kill Nearly 3,500 Nigerian Christians, Attack 300 Churches in 200 Days

'Spiritual Powerhouse of Women': US Softball Team Wins Silver, Sisters in Christ Look Ahead to 'Church on the Dirt'

WATCH: Record-Setting Olympic Athlete Gives Glory to God: 'Soli Deo Gloria'

'Praise God!': Anne Graham Lotz's Son Out of ICU, in Rehab after Severe COVID Infection

Max Lucado Gets COVID Despite Being Vaccinated; Here's How He's Using His Down Time for God

Even CNN Is Pushing Back against CDC's Latest Mask Rule

Sheila Walsh on Simone Biles; I Was Shamed for Putting My Mental Health First, Too. I Applaud Her Courage

US Olympian Sunisa Lee Takes Gold in Women's Gymnastics Final; Simone Biles Cheers Her On

Black and Hispanic Leaders Ask Court to Overturn Roe: Abortion Business 'Targets' Minorities

Wow: Israel, UAE Undergo Historic 3-Way Kidney Exchange Thanks to Abraham Accords

Michigan Eagle Scout Gets 'Heroism Award' for Saving Woman from Burning Car

'My Kids Have Just Excelled': Number of Families Homeschooling Soars; Black Households See Largest Boost

Kate Obenshain: 12 Steps to Raising a Conservative Daughter—from My Very Wise Daughter

In Quick Reversal, CDC Now Recommends Indoor Masking, Citing Delta Variant 'Breakthrough' Infections