YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS.  Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill and Pope Francis are pained by the loss of church unity, a declaration they signed at today's meeting says. “Armenpress” reports, citing TASS, the meeting took place on February 12 in the capital of Cuba, Havana.

"Notwithstanding this shared Tradition of the first ten centuries, for nearly one thousand years Catholics and Orthodox have been deprived of communion in the Eucharist," the declaration states.

"We have been divided by wounds caused by old and recent conflicts, by differences inherited from our ancestors, in the understanding and expression of our faith in God, one in three Persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit," it says.

"We are pained by the loss of unity, the outcome of human weakness and of sin, which has occurred despite the priestly prayer of Christ the Savior: "So that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you … so that they may be one, as we are one" (Jn17:21)," the document says.

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and Pope Francis have called on the world community to consolidate to do away with terrorism on the planet. "We urge the international community to seek an end to the violence and terrorism and, at the same time, to contribute through dialogue to a swift return to civil peace," they said in a declaration.

The two religious leaders noted that violence in Syria and Iraq has claimed thousands of victims and that many other millions have been left without a home or means of sustenance. "Large-scale humanitarian aid must be assured to the afflicted populations and to the many refugees seeking safety in neighbouring lands," the declaration says.

"We call upon the international community to act urgently in order to prevent the further expulsion of Christians from the Middle East. In raising our voice in defence of persecuted Christians, we wish to express our compassion for the suffering experienced by the faithful of other religious traditions who have also become victims of civil war, chaos and terrorist violence," the declaration says.

The two religious leaders hope their meeting will inspire Christians worldwide to pray for full unity of the churches, a declaration signed at their meeting said.

"Mindful of the permanence of many obstacles, it is our hope that our meeting may contribute to the re-establishment of this unity willed by God, for which Christ prayed," it said.

"May our meeting inspire Christians throughout the world to pray to the Lord with renewed fervor for the full unity of all His disciples. In a world which yearns not only for our words but also for tangible gestures, may this meeting be a sign of hope for all people of goodwill!" the declaration said.

Orthodox Christians and Roman Catholics rule out any forms of proselytism, says the text of the declaration.

"Orthodox and Catholics are united not only by the shared Tradition of the Church of the first millennium, but also by the mission to preach the Gospel of Christ in the world today. This mission entails mutual respect for members of the Christian communities and excludes any form of proselytism," it says.

The two religious leaders have called on Christians of the Western and Eastern Europe to unite to preserve Christian tradition.

"The process of European integration, which began after centuries of blood-soaked conflicts, was welcomed by many with hope, as a guarantee of peace and security. Nonetheless, we invite vigilance against an integration that is devoid of respect for religious identities," says the joint declaration.

"While remaining open to the contribution of other religions to our civilization, it is our conviction that Europe must remain faithful to its Christian roots. We call upon Christians of Eastern and Western Europe to unite in their shared witness to Christ and the Gospel, so that Europe may preserve its soul, shaped by two thousand years of Christian tradition," the document says.